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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26435875">Picture Book</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oddree13/pseuds/Oddree13'>Oddree13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love You So Bad [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Diego Hargreeves Speaks Spanish, Diego Hargreeves is Bad at Feelings, Domestic Fluff, Dysfunctional Family, Fluff and Angst, Ghost Ben Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, M/M, Minor Character Death, Non-Binary Klaus Hargreeves, Panic Attacks, Parenthood, Past Child Abuse, Past Drug Addiction, Past Drug Use, Past Relationship(s), Post-Season/Series 02, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Pseudo-Incest, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, Stuttering Diego Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:33:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>25,966</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26435875</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oddree13/pseuds/Oddree13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Two months. It has been two months since they returned from 1963 and Klaus thought things were back to normal. Well as normal as it could be and then the doorbell rings. </p><p>Opening the door, Klaus looks around and sees no one. Typical. His eyes drift down looking for a box and spots it, open at his feet. “Who the hell leaves a package open at a doorstep?” he asks, to no one, and bends down to look inside when he sees the fabric shift. Pulling back the layers he sees what’s inside and goes pale - a feat given his complexion. </p><p>Klaus, heard you got sober. Your problem now. - P</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Diego Hargreeves &amp; Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love You So Bad [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1943689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>248</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Wobbly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Post-1963 timeline with no Sparrow Academy and Ben is here!</p><p>This is my first fic in this fandom so please be gentle! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Two months. It has been two months since they returned from 1963 and Klaus thought things were back to normal. Well as normal as it could be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s back at the Academy again, which is...fine. The rest were too, sort of, coming in and out as if it was an adjusted version of old times. Luther settled back into his room, still untethered, and trying to get in touch with some of Dad’s old contacts for potential military work. Allison spent half her nights at the Academy with the other half in an apartment close to her Broadway residency, attempting to make the place suitable for Claire come summer if she was lucky. Five? Five was working for the Commission with the condition that he could live in the present. Vanya got her position back in the orchestra and had made a parlour a makeshift lesson room. Ben, somehow, was back too and living most of his days in the library, pleased that he could finally pick books up again. Diego though insisted that he move back into his old place, but still game around for family game night (Luther’s insistence) and Sunday dinners (a favor to Mom). </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus hasn’t found what his new normal is, but he’s determined to find it, if only to get his siblings off his back. His sobriety in the 1960s ended with an alcohol binge, but upon return, he’s been sticking mainly to weed that he’s taken to growing in one of the cellar rooms, much to Luther’s dismay. But everyone needs a hobby, right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s downstairs spraying his buds when the front doorbell rings. “Can someone get that?” he yells from downstairs, knowing it’s probably pointless, but doesn’t want to be bothered to trek upstairs. Why did Dad have to buy such a big house? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The doorbell rings again and again, frustrating Klaus, until he throws the mister across the room and stalks upstairs, grumbling as he did. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” he shouts, pulling his kimono top closed as he gets to the door, his siblings constantly admonishing his various states of undress. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, as he approaches the ringing stops and he lets out a yell of frustration because of course as soon as he does something the thing he needs to do becomes pointless. He almost doesn’t open the door but thinks perhaps it might have been an insistent delivery person and there was a parcel out front he could use to taunt one of his siblings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Opening the door, Klaus looks around and sees no one. Typical. His gaze drifts down looking for a box and spots it, open at his feet. “Who the hell leaves a package open at a doorstep?” he asks, to no one, and bends down to look inside when he sees the fabric shift. Pulling back the layers he sees what’s inside and goes pale - a feat given his complexion. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a step back he trips and lands on his ass, his eyes not leaving the box. This is a joke, right? A sick joke. Or maybe! Maybe it’s just a really bad vision from one very disturbing ghost. But as Klaus starts to rationalize what he’s seeing he spots the envelope taped on the side. Plucking it from the tape he tears it open reading the note inside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Klaus heard you got sober. Your problem now. - P</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Song for this chapter - Wobbly by Ezra Furman</p><p>Fic playlist here --&gt; https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3FM0Vbgia5gUqk7AAsmY3H?si=HL3POgEMRGKl_3B3gzGMMg</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Maybe Baby</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Diego is staring at the box in front of him, as his brother paces back and forth behind him. Ben, hearing the commotion earlier, is perched on the table cross legged, looking inside.  </p><p>“Run this by me one more time?” he asks, still not believing Klaus’ turn of events. </p><p>“Right, and you didn’t call the cops, or 911, but you called me?” Diego asks, still staring at the box. </p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Klaus' pronouns in this story are he/they so they alternate between chapters</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Diego is staring at the box in front of him, as his brother paces back and forth behind him. Ben, hearing the commotion earlier, is perched on the table cross-legged, looking inside.  </p><p>“Run this by me one more time?” he asks, still not believing Klaus’ turn of events. </p><p>“I told you! I was downstairs, watering my plan-”</p><p>“You’re pot”</p><p>“My plants,” they tsk, “when the doorbell rang. No one else was answering it so it kept ringing. I finally opened the door and the box was there with a note! A note Diego, who actually does that! This isn’t a movie or a fire station,” they add, going back to biting his nails so they don’t have to talk anymore. </p><p>“Right, and you didn’t call the cops or 911, but you called me?” Diego asks, still staring at the box. </p><p>“I panicked!” </p><p>“I’ll say,” he and Ben both say, finally moving towards the box and looking inside before pulling the knives out of his harness. </p><p>“You’re going to kill it!” Klaus screeches, seeing what his brother is doing but stops as Diego holds up his hand, index finger aloft in what was clearly a shut the fuck up signal. </p><p>“No, I’m not going to kill them, you idiot. What do you take me for? More like I don’t want something sharp near them,” he sighs, unbuckling one of the clasps on his harness before bending forward. </p><p>“Come here little one,” he whispers, and parts the bundle of fabric, taking a good look at the infant inside. “Right, first things first, get Mom and meet me in the lab,” he orders, tucking the baby against his chest and securing his harness again - the leather holster now a makeshift baby bjorn. </p><p>“Why?” Klaus asks, a little thrown not just by the request but by the sight of Diego using his knife sex harness to secure a baby. </p><p>“Because dummy, Mom can tell us how old they are, and what we’re going to need to take care of them. And Ben? See if Dad kept any parenting books he ignored to read up in that library,” he states as he begins to go upstairs. </p><p>“What do you mean take care of them? Diego, I called you to solve this problem not make it worse!”</p><p>At that Diego whips around, taking his last remaining knife from his thigh and holding it under Klaus’ chin. “This is a baby, not a problem. They haven’t done anything but exist. Get Mom,” he snarls, and continues his path to the lab, leaving Klaus gaping and Ben looking amused at his siblings before disappearing. </p><p>***</p><p>Half an hour later, Mom was cooing over the baby, smiling as she took vitals, making Diego start a chart. </p><p>“Well between teeth, weight, growth, and the way the eyes are tracking I’d say you have a fairly healthy 3-month old girl,” Grace announces, causing Klaus to finally look up. </p><p>“Girl?” Klaus says, at the same time Diego says “Fairly?”</p><p>Grace is about to explain something to Klaus when Diego stops her to look at his brother. “Klaus, who cares if she’s a girl. You know as well as I do that what’s under the hood only tells you so much,” he sighs, looking at Mom. “Fairly, what do you mean fairly?”</p><p>“Progressive,” he hears Ben hum in the background as their mother explains her diagnosis to the other, as Ben is too busy making faces at the baby.</p><p>“Well honey she’s a little peaky, a little underweight, and her vitals aren’t as strong as they should be. Also, her lips are cracking, which means dehydration,” she lists, taking the chart from her son and makes notes once she sees he’s not doing anything but staring at her.</p><p>“But she’ll be fine right? Formula, care, warmth, all those plus sleep will make her better?” he asks, ignoring how Klaus isn’t chiming in at all. </p><p>“That should do it. Now let me take some blood from her and see if there is anything else to be worried about,” she announces, which finally makes Diego pull back a bit. “Ben, can you…” he trails off and is thankful when his brother just nods and continues to distract the baby as Grace takes a small draw, the sight of the needle making him go pale. </p><p>“Now do you need pocket money to get her some things?” Grace asks, causing Diego to shake his head fondly, both for the welcomed distraction and for how earnest she sounds. “Nah Ma, I got it. Can you just keep this to yourself for now, but maybe get out some of our old baby stuff and set it up in my room?” he asks, before kissing her on the cheek, and picking the baby up from the examination table. </p><p>“Alright baby, we’re going shopping,” he mutters, putting her back against his chest. </p><p>“Shopping?” Klaus asks, “why are you going shopping?”</p><p>“Didn’t you just hear what Mom said? We have a baby here who is malnourished and needs the things babies need. Who knows how long she was in that box before she was here, and what else is going on. We can panic later. Right now, formula and diapers, ouija,” he snaps, and begins to walk out of the lab and down the stairs. </p><p>It takes Klaus a few minutes, but soon he hears the sound of bare feet following him. “Put on fucking shoes, the streets are filthy,” he grunts as he reaches the front door. </p><p>***</p><p>Diego is staring at a wall of formulas. Why were there so many? He plucks all the ones off the shelf that were for her age range and begins to examine them all. He’d sent Klaus to deal with diapers figuring that wouldn’t be so hard for them. But they’ve been gone now for 10 minutes so he was doubting himself. </p><p>“Come on, this only needs to be for a few nights before you can do some homework,” he mutters to himself, settling on the mid-priced one, tossing it into his basket. </p><p>“Let’s hope you aren’t a picky eater,” he speaks softly to the baby, as he goes to the next aisle, throwing into his basket bottles, bibs, a few toys, a set of onesies, and some other odds and ends. </p><p>Not seeing Klaus anywhere, Diego walks down a few aisles and finds Klaus staring blankly at the wall of diapers. </p><p>“Why are there so many?” they ask, catching sight of Diego. </p><p>“I thought the same thing,” he smirks and grabs a recognizable brand before he goes to the checkout counter. The cashier is eyeing them suspiciously as he rings them up. </p><p>“Uh, newborn?” the man asks casually, clearly fishing for information. </p><p>“Our flight lost our luggage,” Diego replies easily, looking at the man with what he hopes isn’t a threatening smile. </p><p>“That sucks, at least you’re able to get some stuff fairly easy for her,” he notes, pointing at the baby against Diego’s chest. “Does she have a name?” he asks, bagging all the items. </p><p>“Privacy!” Klaus yells out, taking the bag abruptly, causing the baby to squirm and start to scrunch her face. Fuck, Diego thinks, handing over the bills before she goes off. “Keep the change,” he calls out, striding outside. </p><p>“Are you an idiot?” he hisses, as they get out of the doors, the baby caterwauling. “This is a sleeping baby! You can’t go yelling distractions when she’s around,” he chides, taking the baby out of the harness, and cradling her gently before bobbing her up and down. </p><p>“Hey, hey, it’s okay. You’re dad’s a moron but I’m here. I promise he won’t yell again, baby,” he murmurs softly, thankful that the noise of the city was pretty tame. He begins to walk back towards the house, Klaus again lagging behind him. </p><p>“I’m not a moron,” he hears behind him, first loud then soft as they catch up to him. “Why is it that I’m expected to be zen and calm when a fucking baby shows up on the front door, with a note stating that it’s mine! Like, when did this happen!”</p><p>“First off, she or they, not it, you ass. Second, apparently a year ago when you had sex with someone and they got pregnant. Third, I’m not asking you to be zen or calm, just not loud.”</p><p>“How do you even know how to do any of this?” Klaus asks as they turn on the block to their home. </p><p>“Eudora had a lot of cousins, and occasionally one of the other guys at the gym comes in with their kid,” he shrugs, keeping the explanation simple enough. Klaus didn’t need to know more. </p><p>Diego pauses for a bit outside, getting the baby to settle down completely before walking up the steps of the Academy. Diego opens the door and pauses to listen to see if anyone else had gotten home while they were out. It sounds quiet. Figuring the coast is clear he goes to the kitchen and finds Mom. </p><p>“I put a few things in your room, dear, but tomorrow I can make up a room on another floor so she doesn’t keep anyone up,” she smiles, kissing the top of the baby’s head. </p><p>“That sounds good Mom” Diego turns to Klaus to hand them the baby. “You’re going to need to hold her while I make the formula. Think you can handle it?”</p><p>“No,” Klaus states, shaking their head adamantly. </p><p>“Well too bad,” Diego declares and pushes Klaus into a seat. He shapes their hands into the correct position and settles the baby into their arms. “Support the neck,” he adds, before walking off to heat some water, propping the formula container where he could read the instructions. Soon enough he was pouring the mixture into the bottle and is about to get the baby from Klaus when Grace stops him.</p><p>“Test the milk against your wrist sweetheart. If it's too hot she can’t drink it.”</p><p>Diego does as Mom suggests and is relieved that it’s not that hot but hands it to Mom just in case and she uses her hand to check the temperature. “Just a bit too warm. Run it under the cold water for a bit and it should be good to go,” and Diego goes to do just that. </p><p>When it’s the right temp Diego walks over and holds the bottle out to Klaus. “Are you doing this or is it my job?” he asks, and Diego watches as the other man waffles. Sighing, he takes a seat next to Klaus and gently moves the baby into his arms. It takes a second for her to latch onto the bottle, and begins to suck it down eagerly. </p><p>“Quite the little piranha isn’t she,” Klaus says, propping their chin on their hands as they watch in fascination. </p><p>“So any idea who the mom is?” Diego inquires, as he props the bottle up. They need to start solving this mystery sooner or later so they could make the best decision for her. </p><p>“No,” Klaus admits, shaking their head. “A year is a long time in addict time, and I, uh, slept with a number of people.”</p><p>Diego does his best not to roll his eyes. “Well, we have the letter P to go off so focus on that.”</p><p>*** </p><p>Walking into his room he sees a small bassinet with what smells like fresh sheets and some books propped next to his bed courtesy of Ben. As he’s settling down the baby, now changed into a fresh onesie and diaper, he hears Klaus speak up behind him. </p><p>“Why is she staying in your room? I mean she’s mine, right? I should be doing this…” they trail off. </p><p>“Klaus, you called me, I assumed because you figured I’d handle this. She might wake up in the middle of the night and need to eat, be changed. She might cry all night. If you want to do that, be my guest. If you want to crash in here and share the duty that’s fine too. But right now I’m in troubleshoot mode doing what needs to be done while you panic. I’m not mad at you or anything like that. I’m just focusing on the immediate needs.”</p><p>Kicking the door frame lightly, Klaus takes a deep breath and turns to go to their room. “Let me change and I’ll stay in here,” they murmur and are about to go when the police scanner in Diego’s bag begins to chatter. Diego turns and spots the duffle on the floor, rummaging in it for the radio. As soon as it’s in his hands, he turns it off and throws it back in the bag. Diego looks up to see Klaus staring.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You just turned off the police scanner.”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“So, you never turn that thing off. I’ve seen you leave dinner early when that thing chatters. It’s like your siren song!”</p><p>“Go get changed, Klaus. You’re going to want to take advantage of sleep,” Diego suggests and turns around to get dressed, ignoring the other.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Song for this chapter - Maybe Baby by the Crickets</p><p>Fic playlist here --&gt; https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3FM0Vbgia5gUqk7AAsmY3H?si=HL3POgEMRGKl_3B3gzGMMg</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Two of a Crime</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Klaus wakes up to wailing. He’s been getting better at keeping the ghosts at bay, but every so often he’s too deep into sleep and his defenses lower. As he blinks awake though, he realizes that there are no apparitions from beyond the veil moaning in the room, begging for his attention. The opposite actually. What’s causing the noise is one very cranky baby, currently being rocked by Diego. </p><p>Klaus takes a moment to get up and swings his legs over the edge of the bed, reaching out for her. “Give her here, you look like you’ve been trying for a bit,” he yawns, pleased that Diego only hesitates a bit before passing her over. </p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Klaus wakes up to wailing. He’s been getting better at keeping the ghosts at bay, but every so often he’s too deep into sleep and his defenses lower. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he blinks awake though, he realizes that there are no apparitions from beyond the veil moaning in the room, begging for his attention. The opposite actually. What’s causing the noise is one very cranky baby, currently being rocked by Diego. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus takes a moment to get up and swings his legs over the edge of the bed, reaching out for her. “Give her here, you look like you’ve been trying for a bit,” he yawns, pleased that Diego only hesitates a bit before passing her over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to make her a bottle, just in case. Already changed her diaper and that did nothing to stop her from crying,” he sighs, leaving Klaus alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, you are crying,” Klaus begins, stating the obvious. “Let’s list what not to do, courtesy of Reginald Hargreeves,” he coos. “Things that will not stop you from crying include throwing you into a mausoleum, forcing you to summon Cthulhu from your stomach, ignoring you until you develop a complex, beat you for stuttering, or pitting you against your siblings. Lucky for you, you don’t have any of those, that I know of,” he adds, “and we can just move past all those bad parenting tips courtesy of a very dead man,” he grins. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus is pleased to see that his babbling seems to capture the baby's attention between wails. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, what do normal parents do. Well, Diego was rocking you, I could sing, or tell you a story. Story, story, story. Oh, I know, how about the time Diego and I first snuck Ben out of the house,” he grins, and begins to softly tell the child about them sneaking out through the fire escape, running down a few blocks, and catching the bus to the mall. “It was the first time I’d bought my own clothes. Well, stole, but it doesn’t matter,” he giggles and is pleased to see that she’s starting to settle down. “I bought a dress with big daisies, very 90s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember that dress,” Diego calls from the door, walking in with the bottle, his feet dragging a bit. “Here, let’s see if she’s hungry too. Apparently, she’s not supposed to be eating this late right now, but who knows how often she was eating before and when her last full meal was.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus takes the bottles, and remembering what Diego was doing earlier, tries to mimic him. “You got it,” Diego assures him and helps guide Klaus’s hand down to her mouth. “I’ll burp her once she’s done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Diego. For all of this. I don’t really know what’s going on, but you saved my ass today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anytime. Besides, she’s a cutie,” he bubbles, bending down to run a finger over her forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we going to do with her?” Klaus asks, uncertainty coursing through his body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have to answer that now or even soon. Let’s just focus on not killing her alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds easy enough. I mean if Sir never murdered us I’m sure we can make it,” he giggles, causing Diego to crack a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them eventually fall back asleep on Diego’s bed, the baby placed in the bassinet beside them, full and tired. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next time Klaus wakes up, it’s properly morning, and Diego isn’t bobbing around the room with the baby, but still asleep next to him. It’s odd how a man so serious looks so carefree in his sleep, Klaus thinks as he rolls off the bed to check on the baby, and spots Ben looking over her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Figured I could keep watch for a bit. Being an uncle and all,” he says to Klaus, who is still blinking awake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. How is she?” he asks, walking over to look at her.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s sleeping soundly, but earlier she made a scrunching face so my guess is diaper change,” he suggests, pointing to a page in one of the books. Klaus quirks an eyebrow before bending down to inspect her. Getting a whiff of what is clearly a dirty diaper, he begins to think to himself ‘I can do this,’ but chickens out right before grabbing her and goes to wake Diego. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Diegoooo wake up,” he whines, jostling him. “She needs her diaper changed and I don’t know how to do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon enough his brother is stirring and blinking awake. Grumbling, he rolls off the bed and goes to his desk. Klaus looks over and sees that Diego had made it into a changing station last night, and is impressed by this foresight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pay attention, alright?” he mumbles, as he pads over to the bassinet and picks up the baby, sparing a small smile for Ben and then the baby. “Morning beautiful, I hope you got a good night's rest,” he murmurs, an action that makes Klaus’ chest tighten for some reason. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus walks over and watches as Diego goes through the motions of changing her diaper - take off the old one, clean her bottom, cream, slide her new diaper under, then put it on. “Easy see?” he says as he finishes, buttoning her onesie up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, I’ll try next time but you have to watch, okay?” Klaus asks, to which Diego just nods, patting his back. “Whatever you say, Daddy,” he teases, and gets his harness on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going out?” Klaus asks, looking at the clock showing that it is rather early still. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you dolt, I’m going downstairs, and she’s coming with. Getting her breakfast and getting us some too,” he explains, and begins to swaddle the baby as best he can before securing her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should start thinking of a name,” Diego suggests as they start walking downstairs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know I know, but unfortunately, we didn’t pay exorbitant amounts of money to a foreigner to steal her, so I don’t know where to even begin brainstorming,” he scoffs sarcastically, deflecting the responsibility for now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diego laughs at that, which pleases Klaus, but the laugh is soon dead on his lips and they turn into the kitchen and spot Five. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you have a baby?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Song for this chapter - Two of a Crime by Perma</p><p>Fic playlist here --&gt; https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3FM0Vbgia5gUqk7AAsmY3H?si=HL3POgEMRGKl_3B3gzGMMg</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Robert Frost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It’s noon and there’s a family meeting. Diego hates family meetings on good days, but right now there’s a lot of noise, and the baby is not liking it, which has turned Diego’s hate into outright hostility.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to my beta @GeometryOfTime for the support and the baby knowledge &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s noon and there’s a family meeting. Diego hates family meetings on good days, but right now there’s a lot of noise, and the baby is not liking it, which has turned Diego’s hate into outright hostility.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can everyone just talk a little quieter? She’s trying to nap and I think we’d all like to keep it that way,” he hisses through gritted teeth, which causes everyone to pause, but earns an inquisitive look from Allison. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, let’s start from the beginning,” Five starts, calling everyone’s attention back to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been over this already,” Klaus whines, “Plants, doorbells, no answer, more doorbell, open door, baby with a note!” he finishes, clearly irritated by having to repeat themself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Diego got involved how?” Luther asks, eyeing Diego suspiciously as he walks around the parlour with the baby strapped to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because he was the first person I thought to call?” Klaus answers, as if it was obvious, causing Diego to grin at this bigger brother. That’s right, he was Klaus’ first call, not Number One. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, and once you brought her inside what did you do?” Allison continues, clearly wanting to activate mom mode and snatch the baby from Diego - as if that was going to happen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom looked her over. Started a chart, still running blood tests, and all that good stuff. We went to the store and bought formula, diapers, some onesies, bottles, you know supplies,” Diego rattles off, waving off the rest. “Mom got down some baby stuff from the attic for her to sleep in. Fed her, burped her, changed her. All the things we needed to do,” he insists, daring his sister to chime in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. But that still doesn’t explain why you keep holding her and not her supposed Dad,” she points out, causing Diego to scowl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I, uh, shouldn’t be in charge of such a delicate thing. Besides, Batman’s sex harness over there works well for a baby carrier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not a sex harness,” Diego growls at the same time everyone else groans and tells Klaus it was inappropriate to say given that a baby was in it now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, so that just leaves the question of who is the mom?” Luther asks, looking at the group who then begins to chime in with their own unanswered questions like - Klaus had sex with a woman, are we sure that’s possible? Where were you a year ago? Who is P? How did you not use protection? Ben, do you remember anything? What are you going to do with her? How do you know she’s actually yours?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vanya, however, takes the opportunity when the flurry of questions ends to ask, “What’s her name?” which causes all the siblings to pause. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luther, genius that he is, shrugs and suggests, “I mean Number 8?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diego, without looking, takes a knife from his thigh and throws it past his brother’s head, causing it to stick to the support beam beside him. “Wrong answer asshole. We are not Dad and she is not growing up like us,” he snaps. It helps that instead of yelling at Diego for throwing a knife at Luther, the rest of them are glaring at him for the suggestion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know yet, and honestly I shouldn’t be the one to pick,” Klaus begins, looking over at the baby. “Maybe she already has a name and I don’t know it? I mean she should have a birth certificate right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, we might not know that for a bit Klaus,” Vanya points out, putting her hand on his knee. “Maybe just a temporary one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, don’t name it. If you name it that means we’re keeping it,” Five groans, causing Diego to snarl a bit, when Klaus holds their HELLO hand up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say it, referring to her. Somehow our brother got very progressive while in the 1960s and told me yesterday that I should use ‘she’ or ‘they’, and honestly he’s right,” Klaus admits, knowing it comes from a place of Diego not wanting her to be another experiment like they all were. “But yeah she needs a name. I’ll come up with one by the end of the day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That still doesn’t answer the question of how did this happen?” Five redirects, trying to get everyone’s attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Five, I know you’re a bit of a late bloomer twice over, but when two people who-” Diego begins, before getting smacked by his brother teleporting over and smacking him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know how, you imbecile, I’m asking Klaus, how as in, who, when, where, and why!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno, it was over a year ago. I was very not sober! Names weren’t exchanged too often,” they sidestep, curling in on themself a bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you better start thinking of some because we need to find out what’s going on,” Five demands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean what’s going on?” Vanya pipes up, looking at her older-younger brother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s odd that someone left Klaus a baby. Anyone else here I could understand, even Ben! But Klaus? Klaus is the least responsible human in the world!” Five exclaims. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diego looks over and sees Klaus shrinking into themself more, and walks over to put his hand on their shoulder. “Back off, okay. They’ll give it some thought but there isn’t any mystery to solve. Life just happens, Five.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have any of you learned nothing from the last two apocalypses?” he sneers before vanishing out of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ignore him, he’s just bored that no one is trying to kill him,” Allison says, making grabby hands at Diego for the baby. “Stop hogging her. I want to meet my niece,” she smiles, taking the baby from a reluctant Diego. “She’s so little. I remember when Claire was like this. Enjoy it, Klaus, it goes by fast,” she fawns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Five is right. I’m not responsible enough for her. I think tomorrow we should start to make some calls and get her placed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck that,” Diego interrupts from behind Allison, his eyes never leaving the baby. “First, you are responsible, just not in ways we all appreciate. You withstood a war, dealt with torture, and are a weird voice of reason in your own way. Plus none of your pot plants have died.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Diego, a baby is not a marijuana plant,” Luther retorts with a laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that moon boy, but what is it that the state can give her that we can’t? We’ve got more money than we know what to do with. Mom is happy to help since that’s Mom. And if she has powers we certainly know what to do to help, since we learned what not to do from Dad,” he lists, reaching down to run a shaky finger along her nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re attached already aren’t you?” Ben asks, looking thoughtfully at his brother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” he replies defensively, to which Klaus just laughs and counters with, “yes you are. You turned off your police scanner last night for the first time to stay up with her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, his siblings all turned their eyes on him and Diego started to turn red. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m g-going out. Allison, she needs a bottle in an hour. Stuff is in my room if she needs a diaper or w-whatever,” he mumbles before turning and leaving the house. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diego doesn’t go far. He just needs to clear his head before he does or says anything stupid. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So what if he wants to keep the baby? He should be more concerned about his siblings just wanting to hand the poor baby over to the state and wiping their hands of it. They could do it better. He could do it better. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>His mind wanders back to his first few months in the police academy. He and Eudora had just started going out and well, one thing led to another and they were standing at a counter, Diego forking over money for a Plan-B pill. “Better safe than sorry right?” she said later, taking the small as they sat on her sofa. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah but how bad would it be? You and I would make a pretty cute kid,” he teased, knowing it wasn’t the brightest idea at the time. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh Diego, you are an idiot. Cute, but an idiot. We’re twenty and just starting our lives. This isn’t even a sure thing yet,” she laughed, motioning between the two of them. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I know I know. I just eventually want a family, ya know? I know I can do it better than my old man did,” he sighed, looking up at the ceiling. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Maybe do some more growing up and then circle back to that idea. Your heart is there but your head is not. I know you keep going out at night to patrol. You’re going to get kicked out of the academy if you keep doing that,” she chided. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Diego comes out of his reverie a few blocks from the house and shakes his head. He still misses her sometimes. He hates how they ended and how even after he still couldn’t save her from the messed up shit his family got involved in. But she was right, back then. His head and heart weren’t both in the right place but now he knew what he’d need to do. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus is laying in Diego’s bed as the sun goes down, the baby on their chest sleeping. Allison had insisted that they bond with her, and that was over an hour ago. Their eyes wander back down to the small creature on their chest, clearly finding Klaus soothing, which was a surprise to them and probably everyone. They glance over at the clock, realizing that Diego has been gone now for five hours. Maybe he was done with all of this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as the thought enters their head, they hear heavy boots coming up the stairs and soon sees Diego standing in the doorway. “Where have you been?” they ask, not moving to get up, but instead scooting over to give Diego some room to sit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry I was gone so long. I went to go pack up my apartment,” he whispers, running a gentle hand over the baby’s back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why were you packing? Are you moving?” Klaus asks, a little confused and a little fearful. </span>
</p><p><span>“Yeah, seeing as you’re going to need help, I’m moving back here. Now push over, I’ve missed her,” he admits quietly and lays next to Klaus, his hand settling over the two of them protectively.</span> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Song for this chapter - Robert Frost by Mal Blum</p><p>Fic playlist here --&gt; https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3FM0Vbgia5gUqk7AAsmY3H?si=HL3POgEMRGKl_3B3gzGMMg</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Piece of My Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Three days later Diego makes the decision for Klaus and names the baby. </p><p>“Klaus, it’s coming on a week and we just can’t keep calling her baby girl, as cute as that is,” he says, painting a stripe up one of the walls, while Ben continues to mark the other wall with painter tape, and Klaus lays on the floor, doing nothing to help.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to my beta @GeometryOfTime for the encouragement &lt;3</p><p>You also might have noticed the chapter limit increased! That's because my writing is getting out of hand and part 2 is also getting plotted out!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Three days later Diego makes the decision for Klaus and names the baby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s been renovating the third-floor rooms to move the baby there and give himself and Klaus a proper space that isn’t their old childhood bedrooms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Klaus, it’s coming on a week and we just can’t keep calling her baby girl, as cute as that is,” he says, painting a stripe up one of the walls, while Ben continues to mark the other wall with painter tape, and Klaus lays on the floor, doing nothing to help. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But names are so permanent,” he whines, kicking his legs on the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, they aren’t as we are literally all a testament to. Besides, if you change your mind in a few days she’s not going to know,” Diego points out, looking at the magazine clipping Klaus had given him of what we wanted the room to look like. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clearly you have an idea so why don’t you just tell him,” Ben sighs from across the room. Diego hates how observant the afterlife has made him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Diego, you have an idea?” he asks, sitting up interested. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, yeah, but she’s Klaus’ kid,” he insists, focusing on not getting paint outside the lines. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on Diego, tell me!” Klaus begs a tad petulantly. After some more entirety, he finally caves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, fine. I was thinking you should name her Kat,” he proposes, not looking back to see Klaus’ reaction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kat?” Ben turns, “Where did you pull Kat from?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just an idea,” he tries, garnering a disbelieving look from Ben, who tells him to try again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It's Kat to be short for Katz. As in Dave’s last name. Your Dave,” he admits looking to Klaus on the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was clearly the wrong thing to say, Diego realizes as Klaus is staring at him, stunned, his eyes beginning to water. Before Diego can say anything to fix it since it was clearly a mistake to suggest, Klaus is running out of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I thought…” he trails off looking at Ben for guidance when his brother comes and claps his shoulder. “I’ll go find him, you keep painting,” Ben answers, and disappears from the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus finds himself back in Diego’s old room. Usually, when he wants to run he runs to the attic or to the fire escape, but something pulls him back to that room, and to his daughter. His daughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s the first time his brain ever supplied him with that phrase. He goes to pick her up but she’s sleeping and Diego’s chided him enough times in the past few days about waking a sleeping baby. Instead, Klaus slinks to the floor and pulls out his dog tags from under his shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He wants to name her after you,” he sobs, running his hands over the beveled engraving. “He wants to name her after you and I can’t even summon you to tell you. Not even sure I could if I wanted to. I mean you knew me, but there was so much I left out...so much I didn’t want you to know because maybe you wouldn’t...couldn’t love me...and now...now I have her. You know I always wondered what would have happened if I saved you. If we’d been discharged with injuries...could we have had someone like her. Goodness knows it was the 1960s and I would have done something irresponsible like this but it would have been with you, instead of...well Diego, even though he’s more of a dad than me. Surprise,” he cries out softly into the room, trying to not let his broken heart wake his daughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did save him you know,” Ben chimes in, causing Klaus’ head to snap up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ben, I’m not a child despite having one, you don’t need to lie to me,” he sighs, wiping his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been trying to summon him for two months, and you mean to tell me you haven’t put two and two together?” he continues, crouching in front of his brother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ben, I can’t summon everyone. I can’t just summon the old man when I please, and I certainly can’t summon Andy Warhol despite trying numerous times as a teenager.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me show you something,” Ben insists and disappears for a minute before coming back with a book in his hand. “I asked Vanya to do some digging in the local library for me. Here,” he says and opens the book to a page on San Francisco Pride. Ben points to a photo captioned “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Organizers of the San Francisco Gay Liberation Front in organizing the San Fransisco Pride</span>
  </em>
  <span>” and where the names are listed, Dave Katz is clearly listed and his face in the photo is clear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate to admit it but your stupid tactics in Dallas worked. You put him on a different timeline. He probably still met you but remembered what you said. No Hill 689. He lived, and clearly helped make pride,” he smiles, cupping his brother’s cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus wants to say so many things to Ben right now, but all he can manage is to hug his brother and sob into his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he manages after a few minutes, composing himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was nothing. I noticed you trying to summon him a few times so it got me wondering. I didn’t know how to bring it up to you, so now was as good a time as any. But for the record Diego doesn’t know what I told you, so his heart is in the right place. I’m just surprised he remembered Dave’s last name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too, but then again, he heard me lament a lot after I jumped back from Vietnam and then again after Dallas,” Klaus admits, remembering the way Diego had awkwardly helped him through a breakdown or five.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s sweet. In his own Diego way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus doesn't immediately go back to the nursey. Instead, he sits on Diego’s bed, reading the few pages around Dave’s work, and staring at the black and white photo of his first love. Eventually, Kat wakes up and according to his watch it was feed-o-clock and Diego’s been keeping her on a good routine and Klaus did not want to be the one messing it up.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he eventually wanders back into the room, the walls are completely done with the grey chevron pattern Klaus had cut out of the magazine. Diego stands in the corner finishing up a small detail with a brush as Klaus walks over to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hearing his steps, Diego turns around, a little surprised to see Klaus. “Uh, what time is it?” he asks, looking out the window. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s 4,” Klaus answers and seeing Diego’s worried face holds his hands up, his tattoos telling the other man to pause. “Kat’s fed, burped, changed, and napping again,” he explains and is pleased to see the relief on Diego’s face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kat?” he asks, looking up with a small grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Kat. Suits her, and suits me. Honestly, it’s a really thoughtful name Di,” he reassures, before wrapping him into a hug, happy that after a few moments, Diego hugs him back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Later that night their back in Diego’s room, after he explained several times that the room was not dry enough to move the baby into. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He offered earlier to move the baby into Klaus’ room so he didn’t have to share with Diego, and Klaus declined - he was getting used to sharing a bed with Diego, and well, his room was a mess. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were sitting on the bed, Diego reading one of the books Ben had found for them, while Klaus made faces at Kat who was laying on his crossed legs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So tell me,” Klaus begins, watching as his finger finds it’s way into Kat’s mouth, “how did you come up with Kat? Like I know where you got the name from, but what sparked it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diego peers over the book and then points at it. “There’s a chapter in here about names. Suggestions and ways to brainstorm,” he explains, his fingers flipping back to the pages. “It suggests family names, which we have none, well none worth giving, except Grace but she’s still alive. But that made me think of loved ones, and when this all started you told me that Dave was the only person you ever loved more than yourself, so why not give her that name, since you’re supposed to love her more than yourself too,” he remarks, peering over at her. “Besides, she would not appreciate the other name that came to mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What other name?” Klaus asks, wondering if he could get an answer out since his brother seems to be a little more open around the baby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s silly and a name that means nothing for you but something for me, which again, it stupid since she’s not m-my kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus looks over when he hears the small stutter leaving Diego’s mouth and takes the book from his hand before passing over a gurgling Kat. “Diego in the week she’s been here you’ve been more a parent then I have. You of all people should know blood only goes so far. So tell me, what were you thinking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diego pauses, looking at the tiny babe in his arms, her cheeks now full of color after a week of care. “Eudora,” he began, losing himself as he traces a finger around Kat’s face and arms. “She’s not the only other person I’ve loved more than myself, she’s one of only a few. She hated her name though, which gave me some pause, but I got curious and looked up the meaning - generous gift. She certainly was that and so is this one. But at the end of the day, she’s yours Klaus, so Kat became the front runner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus sits, looking at Diego, who is just concentrating on the baby before him as if nothing else in the world mattered anymore - and from Klaus’ point of view, it didn’t as Diego hasn’t bothered to go out on a night patrol since she arrived. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what middle names are for silly. Unless you want to save it for a kid of your own one day,” Klaus notes, trailing off a bit at the thought that he might have to do this on his own one day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, it’s hers,” Diego smiles and brings her up for a kiss before blowing a raspberry on her stomach. But something happens that makes both men freeze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What that a..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do it again,” Klaus orders, and Diego repeats his action, which gets the same reaction, a bright laugh from Kat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit she just laughed!” Klaus exclaims and jumps from the bed,  standing to make grabby hands at Diego. “Let me try,” he pleads, and Diego passes Kat over to Klaus, where she laughs again when her Dad blows on her stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their excitement eventually draws the attention of the others, and soon enough Allison, Ben, and Vanya join them in the room as they show off Kat’s latest development.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I’m ever going to get sick of Kat making that noise,” Klaus declares, looking at his baby with what can only be described as heart eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kat? You finally picked a name?” Allison asks, looking at her brother with an approving smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well Diego did, but it’s a good one. So Kat Eudora Hargreeves,” Klaus begins, turning her around so she can look at the room, “meet the family. Family, meet Kat. My daughter.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Song for this chapter - Piece of my Heart by Janis Joplin [Fic playlist here --&gt; https://spoti.fi/33DX6ba]</p><p>I finally got to put my Dave headcanon on paper! The rule of TV is no on screen death = not dead, and though we see Dave getting on the bus, he don't see him die again, which means he lives!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Canción de Amor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Klaus is amazed by how so much can change in a month. Kat settles into their lives as if she’s always been there, and everyone adjusts to her rather impressively. Well almost everyone.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to my beta @GeometryOfTime!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The third floor becomes their domain. After getting the nursery set up, Diego begins to make the room next to Kat’s suitable for Klaus. It’s the second day of Diego’s renovation when Klaus walks in and asks, “Where are you going to sleep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean? I’m going to stay in my room,” he shrugs, as he anchors the dresser to the wall for child safety. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you’ve been sharing with us for the past week..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah because we set her up in my room since yours is questionably safe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what, you’re going to go back upstairs? What if she starts crying? What if she needs you? What if I -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Klaus, you’re going to be fine,” Diego starts, turning to look at the other, clapping a hand onto their shoulder, “I’ll be around if you need my help, and if you want I can put a monitor in my room too. Besides she’s your daughter, not mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus didn’t know why, but that last part made them sad. Maybe because Diego was better at this than Klaus. Diego always knows what to do, where to find information, what to say to make Klaus feel sure of themself. But mostly, Klaus didn’t like the idea of doing this without Diego. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the sensation of Diego’s hand leaving their shoulder, Klaus reaches out and grabs his hand. “No. Please just stay down here with us. I don’t want to do this by myself. I’ll even let you keep the police scanner on in the bedroom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diego pauses for a moment, his eyes glancing down at their joint hands before letting go. “Fine, I’ll move into a room up here. The one next to you is empty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why take up another room when we can just get a king-sized bed? Besides, you know you’d miss cuddles with Kat too much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diego never gives them an answer but the next day there is a king-sized bed in the room next to Kat’s and the police scanner stays in his old room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diego takes the mornings - feed, burp, change, and exercise. Well, baby exercise. One of the books Diego found described how he could help the baby develop through certain activities, and he made a fucking chart. This is in addition to the other charts he’s made tracking everything and anything regarding her health. He’s a man obsessed and Klaus would stop him if they thought it was doing any harm. But Diego had odd ways of showing affection and this was one. By the time Klaus wakes up, Kat is down for a nap, leaving them to do the late morning while Diego trains. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus is usually with her until the evening, fascinated that if they talk to her, she babbles back. They take her for walks around the block, now in a proper baby carrier, which Diego bought a week in, uncomfortable about the sex harness comments around her. But they spend a lot of time on the floor, playing with her toys and generally just looking at things. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilariously, when Diego read that she’d be fascinated by a mirror at this age, Klaus took to happily gazing into one with her, sometimes changing their outfits to bond. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the evening though it’s usually the three of them. Kat reclining in her highchair, between Klaus and Diego at the dinner table, both of them alternating between entertaining her and eating. Once dinner finished, Diego takes her for bathtime, sometimes allowing Klaus to fill the tub with bubbles and get in with her, Diego crouched on the side of the tub, pointedly not looking into the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At night one of them puts her down - Diego always managing to do it faster than Klaus. Klaus kept wondering how Diego was managing it and then one night he heard through the baby monitor, Diego having turned it on early. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There on the monitor was Diego rocking her back and forth singing in a low voice something Klaus didn’t understand right away. It took them a minute to realize Diego was singing in Spanish.</span>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>No importa la distance</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Yo siempre te amaré</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>No importa cuánto me quede</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Yo siempre te amaré</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>Klaus didn’t ask about the singing or the song when Diego came back. Instead, they make it a point to turn the monitor on a bit early on the nights Diego offered to put Kat down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus is amazed by how so much can change in a month. Kat settles into their lives as if she’s always been there, and everyone adjusts to her rather impressively. Well almost everyone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben tasks himself with reading time, after realizing all the children’s books in the house were combat and training related. After Five is sent on his third trip to the library in two weeks, he barges into Ben’s reading nook where he was curled up with Kat and places a cellphone in front of him. “This is the internet. I added the family credit card onto it. Buy her whatever books you want, but I am not going to the library again!” he shouts, storming off, an action that makes Kat giggle much to Ben’s amusement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allison swallows a bit of her pride and calls Patrick asking for Claire’s old baby clothes, and soon Kat has more outfits than Klaus, which says something. Being the only one who has actually raised a child, she is often giving her input which, while helpful, also has the added side effect of causing Diego to bristle, which delights Klaus endlessly.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luther is still wary of his niece but helps when it comes to arranging her furniture and helping to make the third floor liveable for Klaus, Diego, and Kat. While a lot of the furniture from their childhood was in storage and still usable, Diego took one look at the prams and asked how the hell he was supposed to go for a run pushing that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vanya, sweet Vanya, thoughtfully brings Klaus an instant camera the day after they name her, realizing that the name meant she was staying. Klaus may or may not use a lot of the film as they’re always putting it on Diego’s shopping list, but when he finds the photo album that Diego has organized of her, they know he doesn’t mind at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hold out is Five. Five who still thinks something is going on and that Kat has to be a ploy of sorts. Five who only does things for the baby if Vanya asks him because Five has never been above playing favorites. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus gets periodic questions from him about the mysterious P - he’s attempting to pinpoint a day and location to travel to and do recon, but Klaus doesn’t have much to go on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus does get some validation two weeks after Kat arrives, from his older brother. Because the Commission left Five with no sense of boundaries, he swabbed Kat’s cheek while no one was looking, to run a DNA test. And while Diego and Luther were for once on the same side, yelling at Five for how inappropriate that was, Klaus just smiled at the knowledge that Kat really was his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course she is!” Diego shouted when Klaus voices their doubts, “Her eyes are green, she’s growing wavy hair like them, and that nose is Klaus’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spend a lot of time comparing the two, Diego?” Allison teased, which sent Diego into a quiet brood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now Klaus needed Five’s bendy morals. Ben is in the library watching Kat so Klaus heads upstairs to what is now their brother’s home office. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Five, my favorite older brother,” Klaus begins, grinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m your only older brother,” Five notes, not looking up from where he is writing, a move so reminiscent of Reginald that Klaus would mention it if they didn’t need a favor. “What do you need?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you think I need anything?” Klaus pouts, perching himself on the edge of the desk, earning a flickering glare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you never come to talk to me unless you need something. So just tell me now so I can tell you no and go on with my day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you wouldn’t be a very good uncle if you said no,” Klaus sing-songs, which finally causes Five to look up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does the little hellion need now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that any way to talk about your niece?” Klaus points out but continues when they see Five’s death glare. “Right. She needs papers. Diego thinks she never got vaccinated and Pogo doesn’t keep those in the lab since we grew up. So we need to go to a pediatrician,” Klaus explains, but gets cut off by Five, who fills in, “so you need papers to prove she’s yours, that you didn’t kidnap her, and some explanation for why she wasn’t vaccinated sooner?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Klaus nods. “Birth certificate at least.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to need adoption papers. Seeing as you didn’t give birth to her, the doctor is going to want to know where the mom is, ergo, adoption papers. I’ll also need to change your name legally, but that shouldn’t be so hard to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait why do you have to change my name?” Klaus wonders, now walking around the studying, letting their fingers glide over everything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because Dad literally has us registered by our numbers, which is illegal both now and back then,” he explains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, so new papers for me, Diego, and Kat,” they list, causing Five to turn his head in confusion. “Why does Diego need papers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The question made Klaus stop pacing - they didn’t know how to answer that and they didn’t know why they assumed Diego would need to be included. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing his brother’s confusion, Five just waves it off. “Doesn’t matter, Diego hasn’t been Two Hargreeves legally for ten years now. He changed his name when he moved out of the house. I think it’s Diego Hernandez or something like that. Stupid to get rid of the last name with clout, but Diego’s not exactly forward-thinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaus makes a noise at the insult and is about to ask more, but Five gets up to shoo him out of the room. “I’ll take care of it. Probably get them to you tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great!” they exclaim, buoyed by the yes that he forgets about the Diego question. “I’ll let Diego know he can keep researching doctors. He’s insisting that he looks at reviews and runs criminal background checks.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Diego is singing Lovesong by the Cure but in Spanish, which is the song inspiration for this chapter. [Fic playlist here --&gt; https://spoti.fi/33DX6ba]. The lyrics translate to:<br/>However far away<br/>I will always love you<br/>However long I stay<br/>I will always love you</p><p>And yes, in a lot of states in the US it is illegal to name your child after a number spelled out or not for a variety of reasons</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. A Praise Chorus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Five listed her full name as Kat Eudora Hargreeves, which makes Diego smile - he hadn’t seen it written out before, and to see both those names side by side made him happy. Her birthday is listed as March 15, 2019, which Diego notes is the Ides of March, and chuckles to himself. From the adoption papers it shows that she was adopted from an agency based in Maryland and due to medical complications Diego didn’t quite understand, her vaccines were delayed. Good enough for him. </p><p>“Diego, look at the second parent listed” Ben beseeches, and points to the filled out section. </p><p>“Second parent? Did Five give Kat a fake mom?” he laughs, taking the paper from Ben. “No he gave her a real dad,” Ben retorts.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CW: Description of an injury; blood; needles</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Diego is sitting on the mat with Kat, who is doing her best impression of a turtle, while he tries to fill out the patient portal for Kat’s pediatrician visit. It took him a bit to find someone he was comfortable sending her to (Klaus having decided this was a Diego decision) and is now staring at the basic information page realizing he can’t fill out more than Kat’s name. </p><p>“What are we going to tell them, baby girl,” he murmurs to Kat, who just gurgled back at him, a spit bubble forming on her mouth. “Thanks for the input.” </p><p>Diego was about to slam the screen of the laptop shut in frustration when Five knocks on the door.</p><p>“Where’s Klaus?” Five asks, peering into the nursery as if it’s a zoo exhibit. </p><p>“He’s down in the cellar tending to his pot. What do you need him for?”</p><p>Five takes a tentative step into the room, but before a foot lands on the wood floor, Ben appears by his side and stops him. “Take off your shoes,” Diego calls out and is pleased when Five jumps a bit - not used to someone else being able to appear at random. </p><p>“I didn’t realize you hired a ghost bodyguard,” Five mutters, as he unlaces his shoes. </p><p>“He didn't. I was just coming up to see the princess,” Ben greets, causing Diego to roll his eyes. </p><p>“Stop calling her that. I don’t want her to get a weird complex about all that. Just pick something else to call her,” he scolds. </p><p>“But you call her baby girl,” Ben points out, sitting next to Kat who, now on her back, is attempting to roll over to get closer to Ben. </p><p>“Well, she’s a baby and a girl until she tells me otherwise,” Diego grumbles. </p><p>“Anyway, not that this isn’t a fascinating conversation, but I have things to do. Here are the papers Klaus wanted for the ankle-biter. Birth certificate, adoption papers, passports, etc. Got copies made too and those are in the family files.”</p><p>Diego takes the papers, ignoring what his older brother called the baby, lest he takes the papers back. “Thanks. Didn’t know he asked you to do that.”</p><p>“Don’t mention it. Really. The Commission doesn’t like me using their connections for personal stuff, but what they don’t know won’t hurt them,” he finishes before phasing out of the room. </p><p>Moving the laptop back to his lap, he hears Ben clapping beside him, impressed that Kat managed to roll over, and he shakes his head fondly. “Right let’s see what story Uncle Five gave you,” he mutters as he skims over the facts. </p><p>Five listed her full name as Kat Eudora Hargreeves, which makes Diego smile - he hadn’t seen it written out before, and to see both those names side by side made him happy. Her birthday is listed as March 15, 2019, which Diego notes is the Ides of March, and chuckles to himself. From the adoption papers it shows that she was adopted from an agency based in Maryland and due to medical complications Diego didn’t quite understand, her vaccines were delayed. Good enough for him. </p><p>“What’s this bottom one?” Ben asks, taking the bottom-most paper. </p><p>“Her birth certificate,” Diego replies, having seen the title on top.</p><p>“Yeah, but did you look at it?” Ben continues, his fingers skimming towards the middle of the paper.</p><p>“Yeah, I saw her name, birthday, and then Klaus’ info. I think Five actually got Klaus a legal name change document too,” he adds, holding out Klaus’ new ID and paperwork. </p><p>Ben hums thoughtfully, causing Diego to look up. “What, is there a typo?” he asks, and when Ben shakes his head he gives his brother a look to just tell him. “Diego, look at the second parent listed” he beseeches, and points to the filled out section. </p><p>“Second parent? Did Five give Kat a fake mom?” he laughs, taking the paper from Ben. “No he gave her a real dad,” Ben retorts, and there in bold Diego sees - Parent 2 (full name): Diego Hernandez. </p><p>“Congrats Daddy,” Ben smirks and goes back to playing with his niece. </p><p>***</p><p>Klaus wanders upstairs eventually and finds Diego trying to calm Kat down. She’s wailing, and somehow, Diego hasn’t been able to calm her down. </p><p>“What’s wrong?” Klaus asks, walking over to them, only to have Diego pass Kat over without hesitation.</p><p>“She’s inconsolable right now. She had her bottle, been changed, taken out of her clothes, put back into her clothes. But nothing is working. Picked her up, put her down, rocked her, walked her. Nothing. She must want her dad,” he explains, picking stuff up off the floor.</p><p>Klaus settles Kat against him but keeps his eyes on Diego who is clearly stress cleaning. “Is everything okay?” Klaus inquires, bouncing Kat, whose sobs are starting to wind down. “Yeah, everything is fine. You okay to put her down tonight?” he asks, shoving toys into the chest with more force than necessary. </p><p>“I mean sure but it’s Friday? Aren’t we getting take-away and watching a movie?” Klaus asks, clearly not following what is going on in Diego’s mind. </p><p>“You two can still do that. I’m going out for a patrol,” he explains, his eyes not meeting Klaus’.</p><p>“Patrol?”</p><p>“Yeah, patrol. You know that thing I used to do before I moved back here?” he notes, still not looking over at the other two for more than a moment. </p><p>“But I thought you stopped because, you know, baby!” Klaus hisses, finally getting in Diego’s eye line.</p><p>Diego glances down at Kat but shakes his head as if trying to clear a thought. “Klaus, you’re doing g-g-great with her. Soon you’re not going to need m-m-my help with her all the time. It’s Ben’s choice for a movie tonight so if you need help you can ask him. He was in here earlier doting over her.”</p><p>“But, we’re supposed to do this together..." Klaus trails off, their chest tightening again. Kat, who had just calmed down, began to blubber again, pulling Klaus’ attention back to her. </p><p>“No, you don’t, Klaus. I’ll go along with w-w-whatever Five wrote up for the pediatric visit coming up, so don’t w-w-worry. Now I gotta go. Behave baby g-girl,” he murmurs, kissing Kat on the head before walking out of the room, leaving Klaus with a very discontent infant. </p><p>***</p><p>It was a strange act of rebellion when the TV was purchased. Sir only kept one in the house and it was in his office so he could monitor the news and see how the press reacted to the Umbrella Academy. But now Sir was not around to scold them about television, so Allison had bought a huge TV for one of the dens and made it into a media room. </p><p>Which is where Klaus currently is, sitting on one end of the sofa, while Vanya is on the other side playing with Kat, while Ben is crouching looking through the movie collection.</p><p>“Can you believe he went out?” Klaus screeches to his siblings, “and not out like I’m going to go eat or go for a shopping trip. No! Diego is out in his stupid batman outfit, running over rooftops, looking to get stabbed!”</p><p>Vanya, seeing Kat look towards her father, does her best to distract the baby with one of her stuffed toys. “Well, it is Diego. We were all surprised when you told us he turned his scanner off over a month ago. He’s not going to suddenly change,” she tries to rationalize. </p><p>“He’s probably upset about the birth certificate,” Ben chimes in, holding aloft the movie of choice for the night. </p><p>“What birth certificate?” Klaus asks, sitting up a bit straighter. “I didn’t know Five got the papers done.”</p><p>“Yeah, he came in this afternoon while Diego was getting Kat’s pediatric visit scheduled. Five listed Kat’s parents as both you and Diego on her birth certificate and needless to say, watching Diego process that information was entertaining, to say the least.”</p><p>“What happened?” Vanya asks. </p><p>“Well he stared at the paper for a long time,” Ben begins, “but then the site he was on chimed as if it was timing out, and he focused on filling out the information before he went back to staring at the paper. After a few minutes he just put everything back in the file Five gave him, and asked me to put Kat down for her nap before leaving the room, taking the baby monitor with him.”</p><p>When Klaus didn’t say anything, Ben just sighs, muttering that he was never going to watch Mamma Mia, before phasing out of the room and coming back with the paper. “Here you go before you ask.”</p><p>Klaus takes the certificate and looks it over. Sure enough, plainly written, are Klaus and Diego’s names as the parents of one Kat Eudora Hargreeves. Vanya walks over, looks at the paper, and asks, “Why is Diego’s last name not Hargreeves?”</p><p>“Five told me he got a legal name change years ago,” Klaus answers quietly, his finger running over the name. “He didn’t forge a marriage certificate did he?” Klaus wonders and Ben answers with a shake of his head. </p><p>“I don’t think he’d be that cruel,” Vanya tries, but when her brothers just stare at her, she changes her answer. “Right, probably more work than he wanted to bother with.”</p><p>“I just don’t get why Diego would be upset by this, he loves Kat!” Klaus argues, looking at his siblings who just look at him thoughtfully. “I mean he named her, he’s been there since day one making charts, plans, putting her to bed, singing to her!”</p><p>Ben doesn't know how to tell his brother that Diego is afraid of losing the little family they’ve made. “Klaus, are you ever planning on dating again?” Ben posits. </p><p>“What kind of a question is that?!” Klaus yells. “We are talking about why Diego is out looking for someone to kill him tonight, not about my lack of a sex life, especially in front of my daughter.”</p><p>Vanya catches on to what Ben is getting at and continues the line of questioning. “But indulge us and answer the question. Are you planning on dating again?”</p><p>“Maybe. Probably? I mean once Kat’s older and settled into Academy life.”</p><p>“Right, where does that leave Diego?” Ben asks, hoping his brother would start to put the pieces together. </p><p>“I don’t know, but Kat is still going to need him around. I know I will.”</p><p>“But what if you get married,” Vanya counters, which causes Klaus to laugh. “Vanny, I love you but can you imagine me married? Me? I’m a  dysfunctional junkie!”</p><p>“But are you? Anymore, I mean. Sure you smoke pot, but you’re basically sober. You take care of Kat, have a routine, and are stabilizing yourself every day,” she praises, “so is it really that hard to think that one day you’d find someone you might want to be with?”</p><p>Klaus opens his mouth to answer but closes it as he thinks some more. Maybe one day, but he can’t imagine that sort of life without Diego at least involved. </p><p>“I mean sure, but Diego would still be her Uncle or like her step-dad,” Klaus justifies.</p><p>“So Kat’s number two. Not her parents, but second place,” Ben lays out, causing Klaus’ eyes to widen, gathering what his siblings were finally getting at. His gaze falls to Kat, still on Vanya’s lap, and wonders how he’d feel if her mom did reappear and asks to take her back after all the work he and Diego have done. He doesn’t like any of these feelings, but before he can go any deeper, Kat starts to hiccup, a sure sign she is about to cry, and Klaus pulls his daughter to him. </p><p>“Hey, Kit Kat, it’s okay. You can cry but it’s okay. Gogo will be back soon,” he assures her, assuming for some reason, that Kat is missing Diego as much as he did at that moment.</p><p>“Can we watch Mamma Mia now? I promise you can dwell on whatever you and Diego are up to while I see Meryl Streep try to sing,” Ben cuts in, causing Klaus and Vanya to laugh. </p><p>“Yeah put it on. But you don’t get to tell me to stop singing.”</p><p>***</p><p>It’s two in the morning when Diego climbs in through the window of his old bedroom. Pausing for a second to catch his breath, Diego lets his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room before going to the closet and pulling out his medical bag. He could probably make it to the lab just fine, but he didn’t want to trail blood over the floor on his way up. </p><p>With a gauze pad on his side, Diego opens the door to the hall but his path is blocked by Klaus. “Klaus, whatever it is, can it wait?” he asks, wondering how the hell the other man knew he’d gotten home, but then spies the second baby monitor in his room. </p><p>“I was coming to make sure you were okay, but I can see you aren’t. What happened?” </p><p>“Nothing for you to worry about Klaus. Go back to bed,” he grunts, moving Klaus to the side, and continues this path downstairs to the lab. Ignoring the sound of feet following him, Diego winds his way through the house and gets to the lab, flicking the lights on. Getting out one of the suture kits Mom has handy, along with some disinfectants, Diego begins to undo his harness and take his shirt off. </p><p>“You got shot!” he hears from behind him and rolls his eyes. </p><p>“It’s just a graze,” he dismisses and goes about cleaning his side, and sees he is missing a chunk of flesh - great now he has to check for fragments. Walking over to the extendable mirror, he adjusts it so he can look into the wound. </p><p>“Diego, let me help,” Klaus begs, but Diego waves him off. </p><p>“Klaus, it’s late. Go back to bed. I can handle this and I can always get Mom if I need help.”</p><p>“No!” Klaus rejects, and comes around to Diego’s side, taking some gloves out of a box before he crouches down, using the mirror’s magnifier to look. Batting Diego’s hands away, Klaus carefully looks at the wound and deems it clear.</p><p>“Here let me help with the sutures,” he offers, and Diego just shakes his head. “Oh really, you’d rather suture yourself with shaky hands than let me help. Be my guest, Mister Trypanophobia.”</p><p>Diego opens the kit stubbornly, but upon seeing the curved suture needle, he hands the kit to Klaus and lays out on his side so Klaus can do what he needs to do without Diego seeing. </p><p>“Well now that I have you captive, can we please talk about tonight?” Klaus asks as he cleans the gash, causing Diego to breathe in through his teeth. </p><p>“What is there to talk about?” Diego grunts, trying to focus on anything else but the pain. </p><p>“About the fact that you went to play Batman when your four-month-old daughter was here at home, wondering why you weren’t there for bath time or storytime or bedtime?”</p><p>“She’s not m-m-my daughter Klaus,” Diego reminds him and feels a stab at his side, Klaus having stabbed the needle into his skin in retaliation and not to close him up. </p><p>“She is your daughter, you idiot,” Klaus reprimands, putting the needle into his skin correctly now as he sews the first stitch shut. “You do everything for her that I do, and more than the rest of our siblings combined. You feed her, take her out, make sure she has what she needs. You’re making sure she isn’t raised like any of us were, and it shows, Diego. You love her so much.”</p><p>Diego stays quiet. He knows what he does for Kat, but anyone else would do the same he thinks. </p><p>“You’ve been there since the first day. You talked me out of giving her up and you’ve shown me that I can actually do this. But even if I can, I can’t do this without you. I don’t want to do it without you,” Klaus adds, now halfway through the gash. </p><p>“Klaus, she’s your daughter,” he begins, but Klaus tugs at the thread closing Diego up, causing Diego to lose his breath. </p><p>“Shut up and listen,” Klaus spits, and Diego recognizes that tone. It’s a tone Klaus rarely gets, but when they do, he knows someone is about to get ripped apart - like those veterans back at the bar. </p><p>“I know you saw your name on her birth certificate. While I didn’t ask Five to put it there, I’m glad he did. That means she’s yours just as much as she is mine, and I like that. Because gods forbid Diego, something happens to me, I know she won’t go to the state or anyone else in our family, but she goes to you. You. Her dad.”</p><p>Diego’s heart is racing from adrenaline and Klaus’ pronouncement. “And before you ask that also means that if you or I find someone that actually likes us enough to marry us, they’ll be number two. The step-parent. While you and I? We get to be her Dads. Understand?” he concludes, pulling the suture one more time to make a point before closing it off.</p><p>Diego stays on his side for a moment as Klaus puts the suture kit in the bin, and peels off the gloves. He sits up as Klaus approaches him, and takes in the stern but tired look on his face, and hates that he put it there. </p><p>“Are you sure you don’t w-w-want Five to change the papers?” he asks again, just needing to be sure. </p><p>“No. He put the two people who love Kat the most on that certificate and I plan on keeping it that way. But that means you can’t go out getting yourself shot Diego!”</p><p>“Okay. Okay. No more patrols. Night or otherwise,” he declares without hesitation, pleased that Klaus actually looks stunned. </p><p>“You promise?”</p><p>“Yeah, I promise Klaus. I owe both of you that much,” he swears and leans his head forward onto Klaus’s shoulder. “I’d hug you but everything hurts right now.”</p><p>Letting out a little chuckle, Klaus leans in and hugs their idiot co-parent gently. “Let’s go to bed Gogo, if we play it right we can put Kat on our bed without waking her up,” they offer as they walk out of the lab, gesturing for Diego to follow them.</p><p>“Klaus, don’t disrupt her sleep patterns,” he tuts. “And Gogo? Really? You haven’t called me that since we were kids.”</p><p>“I know, but that’s what I call you to Kat, so I was bound to slip eventually.” </p><p>***</p><p>Back in the bedroom, Klaus wins the argument, and Kat lays nestled between the two of them. “Just for one night,” he swears softly, knowing he doesn’t have to justify the decision the moment Diego turns himself on his side to stare at her. </p><p>“You really made a perfect kid, Klaus. I know she wasn’t part of any plan, but I can’t imagine the rest of my life without her. Thank you,” Diego whispers, running a careful hand over her wavy hair.</p><p>“You’re welcome Gogo. Try not to stare at her all night.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you as always to my Beta @Geometryoftime</p><p>Hernandez is a Spanish surname that has the elements of "brave" and "journey" which I thought was fitting for our stabby boy.</p><p>Any thoughts? I'd love to hear them!</p><p>Song for this chapter is "A Praise Chorus" by Jimmy Eat World [Fic playlist here --&gt; https://spoti.fi/33DX6ba]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Maraschino Red Dress $8.99 at Goodwill</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Diego cannot stop his knee from bouncing. Usually, he’s the epitome of calm and collected, but right now, he’s in the worst place imaginable - the doctor’s office. </p>
<p>“Stop bouncing your knee. You’re going to make Kat nervous. Besides this was your idea,” Klaus points out, as they search for hidden items in the Highlights magazine, Kat in her stroller, playing with her stuffed octopus. </p>
<p>“Well sorry Klaus that I wasn’t up for breaking into a medical facility to steal vaccines. We’re trying to give her a normal childhood remember?” he whispers, trying not to draw the attention of the other parents in the waiting room - more than they already were. </p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CW: Needles </p>
<p>Thank you as always to my Beta @Geometryoftime</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Diego cannot stop his knee from bouncing. Usually, he’s the epitome of calm and collected, but right now, he’s in the worst place imaginable - the doctor’s office. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop bouncing your knee. You’re going to make Kat nervous. Besides this was your idea,” Klaus points out, as they search for hidden items in the Highlights magazine, Kat in her stroller, playing with her stuffed octopus. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well sorry Klaus that I wasn’t up for breaking into a medical facility to steal vaccines. We’re trying to give her a normal childhood remember?” he whispers, trying not to draw the attention of the other parents in the waiting room - more than they already were. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus spent all morning worrying about what to wear, wanting to look like a responsible parent. They settled on the red, cap sleeve, a-line dress, but even when they paired it with some black leggings and booties, Klaus had stood in front of the mirror feeling like something was missing. Diego, in an attempt to get the family out the door, took a look at Klaus and pulled the costume pearls off the side of Klaus’ vanity. “Try these. It matches. Pearls are classic. And Kat will most likely try to grab them but won’t choke.” Klaus didn’t have a chance to react, but when they put the necklace on, they were pleased to see Diego was right - it tied the outfit together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego was more practical in black jeans and a short sleeve button down. But to his credit, the button-down was dark green, which means he was not in all black, and therefore not menacing enough to be getting all these side-glances from the other parents. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They aren’t looking at you Diego,” Klaus chimes in, breaking his staring contest Diego is in with the Dad across the waiting room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Diego says straightening up, hating that he’s been caught. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re wondering why there is someone who looks like me in the waiting room of their upscale pediatric group,” they chime, bobbing their ankle as they talk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that Diego looks indignant. “But you look nice? Also, I researched finding a doctor who wasn’t going to judge Kat for having two dads, but apparently, that doesn’t extend to the clientele,” he fumes, gaining a pat on his shoulder from Klaus. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus puts their magazine down and looks around the room before looking back at the puzzle picture, finally spotting the pencil hidden in a log. “Ignore them, Diego. It’s not going to be the first time or the last time. I promise if they say something you can yell at them. But stop giving death eyes to the man across from you. That’s not a look of disgust Gogo, that’s envy directed towards you” they smirk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Diego can say anything, the door opens and a nurse calls out “Kat Hargreeves?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello, I’m Doctor Perez,” the woman greets as she walks into the room, taking the stool across from Diego and Klaus, who both just wave awkwardly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My nurse tells me you two are new to our office as well as new parents. Congratulations! So tell me a little about yourselves and your baby girl,” she smiles, looking between the two. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego realizes that neither of them has been to a proper doctor and have no idea what’s normal. “Well, uh, I’m Diego,” he begins, raising his hand, “their Klaus, and that’s Kat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look nervous,” the doctor smiles, laying her clipboard flat on her lap to be more open. “There’s no need to be nervous,” she assures to which Klaus just laughs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Diego here doesn’t like hospitals, doctor visits, a big fear of needles and all that jazz,” Klaus starts, patting Diego on the back who is gripping his hands together so tight his knuckles are white. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I can promise you I won’t be asking anything too hard. I looked over the papers and got her medical history in order. I can talk to you about what her well-visit schedule should be moving forward but first tell me about your family. How did the two of you meet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus looks over at Diego who is still staring at the floor in front of him, hunched over and trying to not bolt out the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, well Diego and I were actually raised in the same foster home. Not exactly a conducive system for growing up, but this one here,” they crow, patting Diego’s knee, “this one always made sure I was alright. Stopped the other kids from bullying me, cleaned up my scraps, taught me how to fight, and even stole me my first tube of lipstick!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego can’t help but look over at Klaus with a smile. Everything they were saying was true, but instead of a foster home, it was the Academy. It would be a great meet-cute if their life was different. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, that’s sweet. Childhood sweethearts!” Doctor Perez beams, looking between the two of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know right! So fast forward a few years, we lose a bit of touch, reconnect, realize we wanted to be in each other lives again, and one thing leads to another and we bring this little present in our lives,” Klaus finishes, clearly closing over the unsavory details of their later years - addiction, illegal fighting, apocalypses. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a really sweet story, and you two look like you’re handling parenthood just fine. So let me take a look at your little girl and we’ll get her shots and discuss whatever questions you have.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus is the one that gets Kat on the scale and then the exam table, but when it comes time for shots Diego makes his way over and reaches out his finger for Kat to grab. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey cariño, look at Papi, yeah, just look over here,” he starts, trying to distract her. “You’re gonna feel a few pinches, yeah, but it’ll be okay. Cry if you want, I ain’t gonna stop you,” he smiles, doing what he can to distract her as the shots are administered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus takes a step back and watches as Diego does his best to distract their daughter from his biggest fear. Unable to help themself, they take their phone out and record a video to show their sisters later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the shots done, Diego pulls out the pad of paper from the diaper bag and begins to ask all the questions he’d written out in preparation for the visit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d say that was a rousing success!” Klaus claps as they get into the elevator, smacking a sticker they’d taken from the nurse’s desk onto Diego’s shirt before he takes it off and smacks it onto Klaus’ forehead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that wasn’t so bad. Nice cover story for us by the way,” he compliments, pressing the button to take them to the ground floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What cover story?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The thing about the foster home,” Diego reminds, and Klaus just cocks their head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean the truth? We were raised in a foster home, just a fancy one. Dad never called us siblings, just teammates. Names and feelings were Mom’s department. You always stood up for me in front of Luther, and one time memorably, to Sir, until he backhanded you, cutting your cheek. Even the lipstick bit was true! Remember?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I got it after you found that daisy dress. You wanted an outfit and Allison wanted you to stop stealing her makeup,” he laughs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly. Everything I said back there was true Diego, including one thing leading to another which led us to Kat!” they exclaim, strolling out of the elevator as the doors open, Diego pushing the stroller behind them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right, you’re right,” Diego admits, walking into a bright July day as they exit the building. “So what do you want to do for the rest of the day? We still have some time to kill before family dinner and we’ve got bottles for Kat with us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we go shopping? I know it’s not your favorite activity, but Kat should probably have more than hand-me-downs and Allison would appreciate it if I stopped stealing her clothes,” they beg.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, but we get to stop at the knife shop. I don’t think I can take another day of cooking with whatever poor excuse for knives we have back at the house, and Mom keeps reprimanding me for using my knives for chopping because ‘they’ve been in people’ and so it’s not for food."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finally the doctor's visit!!!</p>
<p>Song for this chapter is "Maraschino Red Dress $8.99 at Goodwill" by Ezra Furman [Fic playlist here --&gt; https://spoti.fi/33DX6ba]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Just What I Needed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“She’s going to kill us all! I’ve been telling you all that from the beginning, but no one listens to me!” Five yells, as Diego is pinning him to the wall to keep him from the nursery. </p>
<p>“Five, I’m giving you one try to leave before this knife finds a new resting place in your body. We are handling the situation, okay?” Diego threatens. </p>
<p>Some vignettes through Kat's sixth month with Diego and Klaus</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you as always to my Beta @Geometryoftime and the Kliego Discord for all sorts of encouragement</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“She’s going to kill us all! I’ve been telling you all that from the beginning, but no one listens to me!” Five yells, as Diego is pinning him to the wall to keep him from the nursery. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Five, I’m giving you one try to leave before this knife finds a new resting place in your body. We are handling the situation, okay?” Diego threatens. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are not handling shit!” Five derides, vanishing out of Diego’s grasp only to be pinned against the nearest wall by a knife in his sleeve. “It has been two days of non-stop crying! If this isn’t a form of psychological torture meant to wear us all down, then I don’t know what is!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s a baby, Five,” Klaus hisses, walking out of the nursery where Kat is still crying, closing the door behind them, “babies cry!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never did such a thing!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No Master Five,” Pogo chimes in from the stairs as he slowly makes his way up, “you simply continued to phase through the crib sending several nannies on a goose chase around the house. Now, if you gentleman can take the young Miss Kat to the lab we can perhaps figure out the source of her crying since you are unable to get an appointment until tomorrow,” Pogo suggests. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Five scowls at everyone before phasing out of the hallway, leaving his jacket pinned to the wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, at this point what can it hurt?” Diego sighs, the exhaustion clear on his face as he pulls the knife out of the wall, sliding it back into his thigh holster, before shuffling Klaus back into the nursery to get Kat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as the door opens, Kat’s sobs echo around them. “You’d think she was Vanya’s kid by the way she’s trying to pierce the sound barrier,” Klaus calls out over the wails as they pick their daughter up, carrying her as she's crying and drooling, making their way down to the lab with Diego following behind them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See, it’s right there,” Grace points out, guiding Klaus’ finger over the jutting bump on Kat’s gum. “She’s getting her first tooth, no wonder she’s crying so much!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what's causing all this noise,” Klaus asks, a little stunned, especially since the pressure from their finger against the tooth seems to calm Kat down a bit, as she’s turning her focus to chewing on their finger rather than crying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It appears so, Master Klaus, and if memory serves all of you were rather vocal at this age,” Pogo provides as he brings over a small syringe with a white liquid in it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s that?” Diego questions as he takes the syringe from Pogo, still wary of the Hargreeves brand of medical treatment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That is baby acetaminophen. Per the last papers you brought from the doctor’s office she can take this if needed, as she’s attained six months of age,” Pogo elaborates, offering to get the papers for Diego. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I remember,” he waves off and helps Klaus give Kat the dose of medicine before returning her to his finger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I guess we need to go shopping...again. I didn’t think I’d ever be sick of shopping,” Klaus laments, looking up at Diego. “Is this why people have baby showers? Does it prevent all the shopping?” they ask the room, but only receive looks of uncertainty from Pogo, Grace, and Diego. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego’s glad he registered for the rewards card after the first trip he took to this store when Kat first arrived. He feels like he’s at the store every week or so, and not just because Klaus sucks at making lists of what they need. He figures there is a learning curve for every new parent, but he also knows that the two of them are buying things as the need comes up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Well, at least you’ll have all the supplies for when kid number two comes around’</span>
  </em>
  <span> his brain supplies out of nowhere, causing Diego to stare wide-eyed at the assortment of teething remedies in front of him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Overwhelming, isn’t it?” comes a voice from his left, causing Diego to look over and see a woman standing beside him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah,” he nods, unsure of why the woman is trying to talk to him. Then he looks down and remembers two things : (1) he’s in blue jeans and a sweater, not his usual black outfits that scream ‘do not approach’ to all bystanders, and (2) Kat is strapped to his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m here getting things for a friend’s baby shower and it’s a lot to take in,” she continues and then lets her eyes drift down to Kat. “Aww look at that cutie, is she yours?” the woman asks, moving a finger to touch Kat’s curls, which Diego avoids by reaching for a teething ring. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, she’s my daughter,” Diego answers, the pride clear in his voice as he says it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s clear she gets all her good looks from her Daddy,” she offers, looking Diego up and down a bit, causing Diego to stammer a bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I m-mean sure, she does g-get all her looks from her Dad,” Diego agrees, which makes the woman bite her lip as she looks him over again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Confidence. I like that in a man,” she giggles and is about to ask Diego something else when her eyes widen a bit. That’s when Diego feels a hand is now sliding into his, squeezing it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He really is quite confident but I’m afraid I’m going to have to take the credit when it comes to our little girl's looks,” Klaus challenges, giving the woman a toothy grin, pleased that she looks between the two of them first in confusion, then in realization. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, she looks just like you. I was just going to ask your husband here what he'd recommend for a baby shower gift, but I think I’m going to go ask the attendant!” she concedes, turning on her heel, striding out of the aisle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What just happened?” Diego asks after a few seconds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were being hit on by that woman Gogo,” Klaus explains, their hand still resting in Diego’s. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I have a baby strapped to my chest?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Baby, yes, but no ring. So she figured you were fair game,” Klaus shrugs, reaching to pluck a teething ring off the rack to examine instead of looking at Diego. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s just fucking weird. It’s a baby store!” Diego starts, still startled by the woman’s boldness. “Whatever,” he muttered, shaking his head and lifting his shopping basket to point out the pack of colorful beads inside. “They had something called teething necklaces over there and it seems like it's jewelry Kat can chew on? I’m not sure if any of them are your style, but it might stop her from trying to put whatever you borrow from Allison in her mouth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus takes one of the necklaces from the basket, a jewel tone one, and holds it over their t-shirt. “I think these would work great actually,” Klaus smiles and lets Diego take them by the hand to the display. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think you went a little overboard,” Vanya says from behind Diego as he unpacks the grocery. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got avocados!” Ben gasps, grabbing the fruit from the pile. “Diego, please help me convince Klaus I need to possess them, just for a few minutes. I miss the taste of avocado,” Ben begs, turning to look at his brother with pleading eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll try,” Diego laughs, and gets out the recipe book Allison bought him. “But remember, this is for Kat. She can eat solids now, and not sure what she’ll like so these are for a taste test.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the mention of a taste test, Ben looks contemplative. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben, don’t even ask because the answer is going to be no,” Vanya sighs, thankful that Diego cannot throw a knife successfully at Ben. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At Vanya’s comment Diego looks up, sees the thought crossing Ben’s mind, and just shakes his head. “No. No. No. You are not possessing my daughter just to try food. She’s a baby, Ben!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wasn’t going to do it!” he insists and vanishes out of the kitchen, leaving Diego with Vanya, who couldn’t stop chuckling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll help you prep,” she offers when Diego glares at her for laughing. Taking the sweet potatoes from the pile, she looks over the recipe and begins to peel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pair work in silence for a little bit, their relationship still tense even after Diego’s offered a stilted apology or two. But eventually, Diego breaks the silence, hating how quiet the kitchen is because nowadays his life is never quiet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think I properly thanked you for the camera. It’s a great gift honestly. It’ll be nice that she’ll have proper baby photos and not just press releases, oil paintings, and security footage,” Diego begins, as he cubes the potato. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, uh, you’re welcome. Thought it might not be something you’d think to buy as it wasn’t an immediate need, and Klaus has shown me the albums you’ve been making so I figured you liked it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mom assembles most of them, but yeah, we’ve got a lot of photos of her. I snapped a cute one yesterday of her with Ben, who I learned will come out on film if he’s solid enough. That one won’t make it into the album soon as Ben’s snatched it for his library corner, but I’ll steal it eventually.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a lot happier nowadays,” Vanya remarks, as she grabs the put to put the cubed potatoes in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego isn’t sure how to respond just yet. His first instinct is to get defensive as he always did with Vanya. But after a moment he finds himself nodding. “Hard to be sad when she’s around honestly. Sure there are sometimes I’d like to sleep or go out, but then she does something so simple but so incredible, I forget what I was complaining about in the first place.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Klaus talks about her the same way. It’s nice to see you two working so well with her. You make a good team.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks. For as much as Klaus can be, well Klaus, they really have stepped up to this whole parent thing. I was worried that they would fall off the wagon again because of the stress of it all, but surprisingly most of the weed they’re growing isn’t smoked by them,” Diego smirks. “But I’m grateful they called me that day. I wouldn’t change it for anything Vanya. Honestly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Upstairs, Klaus is meditating in their bedroom. They hate that it took time-travel, a cult following, and only a modicum of discipline to keep the worst of the ghosts at bay. A steady diet of edibles helps with the rest, they think with a smile, as they take a deep breath to focus. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment everything is just quiet. No crying. No yelling. No questions. Of course, it’s short-lived. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need to talk to you,” Five interrupts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can’t you see I’m doing something,” Klaus sighs, not opening their eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t look important and this is. I think I found a lead on your baby momma.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that Klaus takes a steadying breath before picking themself up from the floor. “How many times do I have to tell you, I’m honestly not interested in knowing right now. Sure Kat might ask when she’s older but that’s a problem for the future,” they groan, picking themself up off the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well sorry for wanting to know whether or not you adopted a ticking time bomb or not. It’s sort of a family tradition,” Five insists, appearing now on the other side of the room, turning the baby monitor off for a moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s not a bomb. She’s not a ploy. She’s not some harbinger of unforetold destruction. She’s what happens when two junkies take too much MDMA and think condoms are sock puppets,” they grouse, spreading out on the floor since clearly Five was not leaving until he had his say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you remember anything from the night of December 8, 2018? It was a Saturday night if that helps.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why the fuck would I remember that? Who remembers dates like that?” Klaus rants, not liking where this line of questioning is going. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because, Klaus, most people haven’t pumped synthetic chemicals into their bodies causing memory loss!” Five retorts, now pacing the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well maybe people should live a little more,” they spit back, their head turned to focus on the space beneath the dresser, needing to focus on something else besides this conversation. A conversation that is bringing up all of Klaus’ worst decisions with a side of guilt. “Look it was December which means cold...I was probably staying at some flophouse in the warehouse area. Osso Buco threw me out in November,” they remember but stops their train of thought before it gets too dark. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At least that’s something. Last thing. Does the name Penelope ring a bell?” Five probes, as he makes his way back to the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Penelope, Penelope,” Klaus begins to say over and over again. “Yeah, Pen dealt at the club down the road from the house. Why?” they ask, but when Five just glares at them, Klaus puts it together. “Ah. P for Penelope. You think Penelope is Kat’s mom..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. If she was a dealer seems plausible. Do you remember, you know,” Five stumbles, unable to say what his sibling might have done with the woman.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, no, but again I don’t remember a lot. Which I don’t like to dwell on. Just do what you need to do but don’t involve me okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine by me. Involving any of you needlessly complicates things,” he agrees and phases out of the room, leaving Klaus sprawled on the floor, and whatever calm he achieved is now gone.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well we finally have the mysterious P's name after nine chapters</p>
<p>Song for this chapter is "Just What I Needed" by The Cars [Fic playlist here --&gt; https://spoti.fi/33DX6ba]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“I think you two need to get out of the house,” Allison suggests as she looks over brothers who are currently wiping their shirts clean of a pea and carrot puree that Kat did not like whatsoever. </p>
<p>“No you both need to go out,” Allison insists, walking over to wipe her niece’s high chair. “I know I’m not exactly the expert on relationships, but when Claire was born, Patrick and I had date nights, and even Raymond and I had a standing night out. You live in a house with at least four capable babysitters, let us help you two out! Go see a movie, get dinner, get out of house clothes! You don’t even have to go together!”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you as always to my Beta @Geometryoftime &lt;333</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I think you two need to get out of the house,” Allison suggests as she looks over brothers who are currently wiping their shirts clean of a pea and carrot puree that Kat did not like whatsoever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re fine,” Diego replies at the same time Klaus says, “maybe you're right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two exchange a look and Diego just shrugs. “If you want to get out of the house, Klaus, all you have to do is ask. You know I’ll take her for the night.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No you both need to go out,” Allison insists, walking over to wipe her niece’s high chair. “I know I’m not exactly the expert on relationships, but when Claire was born, Patrick and I had date nights, and even Raymond and I had a standing night out. You live in a house with at least four capable babysitters, let us help you two out! Go see a movie, get dinner, get out of house clothes! You don’t even have to go together!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We went to the park yesterday,” Diego challenges, and Klaus nods in agreement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you took Kat. Look I know you both love her but you need to remember what it’s like to be people, not just parents. So Friday night, all of us will stay at home, while you two go out. And if you don’t leave I’ll rumor your asses into going,” she threatens with a smile and leaves them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s right you know. We probably need to get out of the house and not just to run a baby-related errand,” Klaus admits, looking down at their ruined shirt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know she’s right, but I hate it when she’s right about this shit,” Diego grumbles, looking over at Kat who is clear of any pea mush as it all wound up on only them and not her. “Fine, we’ll get out. Do you want to do something together or do you want to do your own thing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gogo, I’m afraid if I leave you to your own devices you’ll just go out and do something dumb and dangerous.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego levels a look at Klaus that conveys ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>pot meet kettle, kettle meet pot</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ and Klaus just giggles. “Fine, fine, then we’ll go out. Date night as Allison says,” they tease, earning a blush from the other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can plan this one, and if it works out, you do the next one. Deal?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you going to wear?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have no fucking clue,” Klaus admits, staring at their closet. Diego had said casual, but when Klaus asked for more information, his co-parent was tight-lipped. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s kind of cute that he wants it to be a surprise,” Ben remarks, as he watches his sibling try on another top. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You say cute, I say annoying. It’s just a night out, not a mission. Why does it need to be a secret?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you ever stop and think that it might be more than a night out to him?” Ben counters, earning a snort from Klaus. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you seriously suggesting that Diego, tragically heterosexual Diego, might be treating this as an actual date?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it really so crazy?” Ben challenges, straightening up from the wall he’s leaning on, which Klaus recognizes as argument mode.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes! Yes, it is! It’s one thing to want to co-parent a child with your adoptive brother because of good old fashioned family trauma, but it’s another thing to want to date your adoptive brother and raise a child with them. Between that, his dating history, and his general reluctance to feel, I’m pretty sure I’m going to wind up at a taco stand next to a gun range,” they ramble, putting on a pair of black and white striped pants, because in case they were going to a gun range, a skirt was not a good idea. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But Luther and Allison dating back then, and maybe trying even now, is fine?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not here for logic Ben! I’m just here to find an outfit for a fucking night out of the house with my brother!” they shout, flustered, causing Ben to walk over and put a hand on their shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, what’s going on? I didn’t think you’d get this worked up at the suggestion.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus is quiet for a bit, grabbing a grey v-neck and holding it over their chest before deciding to throw it on. “He never corrects people you know? Not strangers, family, parents at the park,” they murmur, staring into the closet instead of looking at Ben. “I’ve counted at least ten times that someone has implied that we’re together, and Diego never corrects them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like the woman at the baby store?” Ben recalls, remembering the anecdote Klaus told him about Diego getting flustered over a woman hitting on him while shopping for Kat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah like that. He never corrects them. I figure it’s something to do with Kat, that he doesn’t want to get in the habit of discounting me in front of her, but each time he does it, it gets harder and harder for me to ignore,” they deflate, walking to take a seat on their bed. “Whatever Diego does he does it for Kat, which is amazing. But sometimes I have to remind myself it’s not for me because Diego won’t see me like that. He won’t see me the way Allison and Luther see each other - as an option. Diego looks at me and sees another responsibility.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t know that,” Ben tries, but Klaus just raises their ‘goodbye’ hand to stop him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Benny, don’t try and find an answer for what’s going on. I did it to myself. I’m the one that wanted to share a bed, share a kid, share a life. So I get to deal with the consequences,” they shrug, wiping a tear from their cheek, thankful they hadn’t put makeup on yet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think your leather jacket would look good with what you have on,” Ben whispers after a few beats of silence and disappears from the room with a clap to Klaus’ shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben goes down to the kitchen after finding Vanya in the nursery changing Kat into pajamas, and she tells him Diego was downstairs, cooking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now Diego dear,” he hears Grace say in her tone which means she’s teaching something, “make sure you’re only using containers with tight lids. You’re going to be walking to the park and I don’t think you want to be ruining your picnic with spilled pasta salad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Mom, I’ll make sure of it. Do you think the cookies are cool enough yet to pack?” he asks, turning to grab one off the rack before spotting Ben in the doorway. “Oh hey. Have you seen Klaus? I’m almost ready to go, but I don’t want to take the drinks out of the fridge before I have to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s all this?” Ben asks, peering into the bag Diego has packed on the table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Picnic food. It’s Friday which means movie night, but Allison is kicking us out of the house, so movie night has to be elsewhere. The park nearby has been playing old movies so I figured, food, film, and grass Klaus can put their bare feet in,” he explains, closing up the container of cookies. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow that’s surprisingly thoughtful,” Ben praises, for which Diego flicks him off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you just tell them to be downstairs in five minutes? I want to get a good spot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A block from the park, Diego finally tells Klaus what they're doing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know it’s really basic, but the weather is nice, and the movie playing tonight is a good one. If it sucks we can leave early,” he hedges as walks Klaus into the view area, scoping out a spot for the two of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, this is great!” Klaus assures as they bend down to take their shoes off, seeing the dewy grass before them. “What are they playing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To Catch a Thief, it’s a Hitchcock film. But I promise it’s not scary, just a romantic thriller. Basically, this guy who used to be a cat burglar retires to France, and then someone starts robbing people again, copying his MO, so he’s gotta solve the case. He meets a really pretty woman along the way, and well you’ll see the rest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds more like your kind of film than mine,” they tease and Diego just shakes his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just give it a chance! I promise if you don’t like it you never have to come out with me again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus doesn’t like that idea, and instead of answering just sits down on the blanket Diego laid out. “What did you pack for us?” they ask, shifting the topic from the next night out to food.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve got sandwiches, hummus, vegetables, chips so you don’t complain everything is too healthy and you have nothing to pick on, along with a few other things. Also, cookies that Mom baked, and,” he pauses, reaching into the bag, “fancy Italian sodas. I know it’s not wine, but I remembered how you like these sugary things, so I picked some up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was proud of himself, that much is clear to Klaus, and they realize Diego actually put thought into their night out. “This is great Diego. Thank you,” they beam, and open the chip bag, earning a laugh from Diego in the process. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it is date night after all. Didn’t want to screw it up. You look nice by the way. I like the jacket.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you. You look nice too,” they compliment, pushing the fact that Diego called it date night again out of their mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to lie, I’m just in jeans and a rare shirt free from spit-up. I sort of got lost in the cooking that I forgot to dress-up,” he remarks, causing Klaus to look down at the containers of food. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You cooked all of this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean not all of it. I bought the chips and the vegetables were just chopping, and Mom made the cookies,” he points, leading Klaus to conclude the rest was Diego’s doing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You outdid yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it’s our first night out, in what, four months? I wanted you to have a good time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus doesn’t know what to say. It’s moments like this that remind Klaus that Diego is a far cry from the emotionally stunted vigilante with daddy issues he reunited with months ago. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m having a great time already, Gogo, thank you,” they finally say, and open a can of wine as the movie starts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why is every person in old Hollywood films so pretty?” Klaus asks, as the movie progresses, causing Diego to laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure how to answer that Klaus, but yeah the leads in this are something. You’ve got Grace Kelly, who literally became a princess and looks stunning in every shot. And then you have Cary Grant, who’s a handsome devil. Debonair, witty.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think he’s handsome?” Klaus asks, remembering their conversation with Ben earlier, and can’t help but probe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Klaus, look at him. The man is suave as fuck.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That he is if you like that sort. I was under the impression that your type was women that could kill you,” they quip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s coincidence really, and I don’t think two people make a type. It’s funny, I didn’t try and go after Eudora until a few months after we met. She was a good friend, and then one day it just hit me - I wanted to date her. I don’t know if that makes sense because most people just see someone and go for it. But it always takes me a second for my brain to decide if that makes sense.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus nods but wants to make sure he gets it. “So Cary Grant, he’s pretty but you wouldn’t take him to bed?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know the man Klaus. He could be a prick for all I know. So no, not to bed. Pretty to look at is all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Got it,” Klaus just nods, and sits with the fact that Diego’s sexuality isn’t as straightforward as they thought. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the movie continues, the temperature drops some more, and Klaus starts huddling in on themself. It takes one shiver for them to suddenly feel a blanket drape over them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brought an extra in case it got chilly,” Diego explains, adjusting his position so the blanket can fit over both of their shoulders. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Gogo,” Klaus whispers, and then feels the other man put an arm around their waist to keep them close and warm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this alright?” Diego asks into Klaus’ ear, and they respond with a small nod before resting their head on his shoulder, where it stays for the rest of the film. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, I’ll admit it was a good movie. You win this round Gogo,” Klaus concedes as the movie ends, packing up their picnic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Glad you liked it. Do you want to go home now or do something else?” Diego asks, offering his hand to help Klaus up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it bad that I sort of want to go home and cuddle Kat?” Klaus admits, taking the offered hand to stand up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah, let’s go home and see our baby girl,” he smiles, not letting go of Klaus’s hand as they leave the park. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two of them walk slowly, Klaus stealing glances at their hands as they make their way back home, while Diego goes on about the movie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they turn into the house’s gates, Klaus stops and looks at Diego, trying to find the right way to ask what was going on between them while they were still alone. But before Klaus can get the words they hear someone calling their name. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Klaus?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Penelope...”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the cliffhanger! But the good news is I finished writing this story this morning. I have a feeling I'll be playing in this universe a bit more, so if you want to see some more of this adorable family let me know in the comments!</p>
<p>Song for this chapter is "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve) " by The Buzzcocks [Fic playlist here --&gt; https://spoti.fi/33DX6ba]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Tonight, Tonight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Penelope...”</p>
<p>That’s all Klaus manages to get out before a few very fuzzy memories push their way to the front of their mind - a warehouse club, a pill in the shape of a hand grenade, a very perky set of breasts, and someone pulling their pants back up as they stood over their bed.</p>
<p>They come to when they hear their name again. Not from Penelope, but from Diego, who is now standing in front of them, a knife already in hand.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry in advance. See the endnotes for more information. </p>
<p>Shout to my beta GeometryofTime for not just her editing but her encouragement for this level of angst</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Penelope...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s all Klaus manages to get out before a few very fuzzy memories push their way to the front of their mind - a warehouse club, a pill in the shape of a hand grenade, a very perky set of breasts, and someone pulling their pants back up as they stood over their bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They come to when they hear their name again. Not from Penelope, but from Diego, who is now standing in front of them, a knife already in hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Di, it’s fine, I know her,” they start, still stunned, patting the arm Diego is using to hold his knife. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry to show up like this? I never took what you said seriously but I figured I should try and that you might want to talk to me,” she offers with a nervous shrug, her arms tucked into the pocket of her hoodie. “How is she?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus feels Diego tense beside them at Penelope’s question, as he puts it together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Klaus, w-what g-g-going on?” Diego stammers, looking between both of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diego, this is Penelope. Pen used to be one of my dealers...and the person who left Kat here,” they begin, not knowing how to introduce their former dealer/baby momma to their adopted brother/co-parent/date. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of a knife falling to the ground echoes through the quiet. Klaus doesn’t know what to say or do because while this is awkward for Klaus, they know this is Diego’s worst nightmare. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, Klaus, I just want to talk to you for a bit that’s all,” Pen starts, taking a step towards the two of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus wasn’t sure what to say or do. Yes, they want to talk but the way Pen is looking at Diego means the first part of the conversation should be alone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diego, can you give us a minute?” Klaus asks, doing their best to not flinch at the look of betrayal they were getting from the other man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It takes Diego a moment to listen to Klaus, but eventually, he bends down, scoops up his knife, and points it at Penelope. “You are not taking our daughter,” he threatens before storming to the front door, slamming the door behind him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once inside the house, Diego throws the knife at the nearest wall and tries to scream, but finds himself falling to the floor on his hands and knees. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He can't breathe. His chest feels like it's caving in on itself and everything hurts. Diego's been close to death countless times before and it never felt even close to what he was feeling now. The last time he felt something close to this was when he found Patch dead and bleeding. He realizes after a moment that what he's feeling is his heart breaking and he has no way to fix it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He bangs his fist on the floor willing himself to breathe but it's not working. Normal people would have passed out by now, but Diego won't because his body can just keep going and going without air. Under normal circumstances this would be fine, but right now? Right now Diego feels like he's drowning and has no way to come up for air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That's how Vanya finds him - bent over on the floor gasping for air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Diego, what's wrong, where's Klaus," she asks, helping him up into a sitting position. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He can’t answer. Not just because he can’t breathe because the answer is something he doesn’t want to admit. All he manages after a few beats is a point to the front door, and that’s when he hears his sister call for Ben. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben, go look outside and see where Klaus is,” she asks, as she rubs Diego’s back, trying to calm him down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben flicks in and out of view for a moment and comes back frowning. “They’re out there talking to some woman,” he says, confusion lacing his voice as he crouches down in front of Diego who is starting to take in air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kat?” Diego gasps after a moment, looking at his brother for confirmation that his daughter is still in the house and still his. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We put Kat down to bed two hours ago Diego, she’s sleeping. What’s going on,” Ben tries again, worry lining his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P,” Diego starts, unable to form the turmoil in his head into words. “That’s P,” he manages, before burying his head in his knees. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P? Who’s P,” Vanya probes, looking over Diego at Ben for answers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P is the woman who left Kat on the doorstep,” Ben replies, and realization dawns on his face as he answers his sister. “Right, fuck. Okay. Uh, Vanya, why don’t you take Diego upstairs and I’ll get Allison, Luther, and Five. It’s going to be alright, Diego, we’ll handle this,” he promises, and blinks out in search of the rest of the family, leaving Vanya with Diego. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya tries to lift Diego, but her brother is dead weight at the moment. Taking a deep breath, she snaps her fingers and uses the sound to guide her brother to a standing position. “You’re going to need to help me out the rest of the way, haven’t quite figured out moving people yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego just nods and lets his sister guide him through the house and upstairs. At least upstairs he can guard her, he thinks, as Vanya instructs him to climb the stairs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moment Diego hits the landing he can hear Kat crying. He looks to his sister who tells him the monitor is with Allison, but that Kat was quiet for the last two hours. With just a nod in reply, he walks into the nursery, to check on Kat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inside the crib, his daughter was bawling, and while he knew he should try and let her cry it out and go back to sleep, he couldn't stop himself from scooping her into his arms and sitting in the rocking chair Klaus insisted on getting months ago for the ‘aesthetic.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Estás bien cariño, Papi is here and Dad’s downstairs. We’re back home,” he begins to whisper to her, not caring that his sister is watching from the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want me to wait up here with you?” Vanya asks, after some time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego wants to say no, that he’s perfectly fine handling whatever is going on between Klaus, that woman, and his daughter, but he knows that if he sees her on the third floor, the nearest sharp object is going into her and maybe having his sister around is a good idea. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, please stay,” he nods, giving Vanya a sad smile as she sits in front of him in the rocking chair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know we aren’t going to let anything happen to her right? She’s part of this family.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, I just never wanted her to come back into Kat’s life, as selfish as that is. Maybe when Kat is older and she knows that Klaus and I would do anything for her, but right now? Right now Kat would never remember us..." he trails off, rocking Kat gently to soothe her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How about you tell me about the movie? For once, I’m alright sitting out of the family adventure,” Vanya confesses, and sits listening to her brother retell the movie as her niece eventually settles down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you mean you never took what I said seriously?” Klaus asks once Diego is inside, no doubt running to their daughter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well you have to imagine in my line of work I heard a lot of weird things over the years, and you weren’t the first person looking for drugs to get away from ‘ghosts’. But I remember hearing about your skills from another one of the dealers in the area, and that tidbit just stuck, so here I am,” she shrugs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that Klaus’ eyes widen in crest-fallen recognition. “Oh, Pen, no,” they gasp, reaching out for her, but she steps back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine, I mean not really, but it’s nothing either of us can do about it, is there? What day is it by the way?” she asks, looking around for a sign of the time of year, spotting the changing leaves. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s uh October 11, 2019,” Klaus remembers because Kat turns seven months in four days. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, time really does pass strangely when you’re dead...I think the last day I remember was some point in May. I think that was a little bit after this happened,” she tries to remember but shakes her head to clear the thought. “It took me a bit to find my way back here, but once I got over the fear of talking to some of the other ghosts, you were not a hard person to track down. Did you know you have a bit of a reputation?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve gathered,” Klaus laughs sadly. “Do you know what happened?” Klaus asks, making a vague hand gesture that Penelope interprets as ‘how did you die.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you think, Klaus? I took one too many and didn’t wake up,” she sniffs, her emotions finally starting to bubble. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus wants to comfort her but she clearly doesn’t want to be touched. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, Klaus gestures to the step she was sitting on before and is about to take a seat when the front door opens and four of his siblings are standing behind it looking out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, just Diego was freaking out and when he told us who was out here, we came to check on you,” Ben starts, looking between Klaus and Pen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, uh Penelope, these are my siblings. That’s, uh, Ben, Allison, Luther, and Five,” they introduce, and all his siblings but Five give her a small, but skeptical wave. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You're supposed to be dead,” he states, taking a step towards Penelope, who takes a step back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you try and kill her?” Luther interrupts, and Klaus would be asking the same thing if he didn’t already know that yes, she was dead, and Five wasn’t responsible. All of his siblings turn their eyes on Five who is about to defend himself when Klaus interrupts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s dead, Five; just you know meditation, powers, all that good stuff, so she’s here,” Klaus sighs, hand waving the explanation away. “But how do you know that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you think, you simpleton? Deduction, research, and time travel.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you knew Kat’s mother was dead and you didn’t think to inform either Klaus or Diego?” Allison reprimands, smacking her older brother across the back of the head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was going to, eventually, but that’s not exactly news to break out of nowhere!” he justifies, gesturing at Penelope. “Besides, Klaus didn’t want to know who she was and Diego, well, we all just saw how Diego would react.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus looks a little guilty at that. “Sorry, I couldn’t remember who I had sex with,” they admit quietly to Penelope. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I  was actually between two guys for her. But you had the rich family,” she admits sheepishly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well she’s Klaus’, we checked,” Five supplies, and Allison hits him again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right we’re going back inside. Uh, we are sorry that you died,” Allison tries, causing Ben and Klaus to cringe, “but Klaus and Diego are taking wonderful care of your daughter.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With that, she ushers her brothers inside, but Ben stays behind for a moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just call me if you need me to get Diego,” he adds and then follows his family inside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus is left staring at the door, wondering why the fuck their life was like this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you live here with your boyfriend?” Penelope asks after a moment, taking a seat on the steps again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not exactly. It’s, uh, complicated.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I just figured since the one with the knife said ‘our daughter’ and then that you lived here with you that you two must be raising Bean together?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bean?” Klaus questions and Penelope shrugs again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never could pick a name, and Bean is what I called her once I realized I was pregnant. What did you name her?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kat. Kat Eudora Hargreeves. She’s named after both of our deceased ex’s. A little morbid, but it suits her,” they explain, realizing how strange it is to be explaining to the dead mother of your child that said daughter is named after two other dead people. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s better than anything I could have come up with. So what’s with knife dad?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s Diego. The first person I called when you left an actual box baby in front of my house. He’s my brother but not? It’s weird and messy, but since day one he was there. He did all the things a parent should do while I just floundered. Never once did he resent me, which is the weird part. Everyone in my family has resented me for one thing or another, but I gave Diego the biggest reason to, and all he’s done is step up. Determined to be a better adoptive father than our adoptive father was.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Penelope sits quietly for a bit, just looking out into the street.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you love him?” she asks after some time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What kind of question is that? Shouldn’t you be asking about Kat? If she’s healthy? If she laughs? If she is eating her vegetables?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sound like a dad, Klaus; I never thought I’d hear it, but here I am. To be honest, I wasn’t exactly aware during the whole pregnancy, combination drugs, and then forced rehab until I delivered. I was released into the care of an aunt, but that didn’t work out. I don’t want to get into it, but the point is she never really felt like she was mine. But it sounds like she’s yours. So tell me, do you love him, because I want to know I at least left her with people that are going to love her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diego and I are complicated, but I can tell you that we both love each other. In love is another issue. But the thing to know is that we both love Kat,” they promise, their eyes watering for the first time since Pen appeared. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, why are you crying? You’re not the dead one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just didn’t think I’d ever see you again and now I do and you’re dead! Fuck, we barely knew each other to begin with, but I have your little girl upstairs!” they shout, overwhelmed by all the emotions coming into their brain at once. “I don’t know how to tell you thank you for one of the greatest people in my life, but also sorry that it ended like this. I was expecting my brother to track you down eventually and bombard me with you alive and breathing one day. Not this!” they croak.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus feels Penelope’s gaze on them, analyzing their outburst. “You’re afraid you’re going to do what I did. Aren’t you?” she asks, and all Klaus can manage is a nod, running a hand over their face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right now I’m sober. Well, sober-ish. Pot keeps the ghosts at bay. But that itch is there every day. Especially when I feel like I’m not doing enough for her, or that Diego could do it better without me because I’ve never felt useful. And I’d rather feel high than useless. And that thought for the first time in my life terrifies me more than anything else I’ve experienced. Because the thought of not seeing her again and having her learn that the person tasked with caring for her couldn’t get his shit together is painful,” they agonize. The last time they felt so raw was after Vietnam, and they just wanted to claw out of their skin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two of them don’t speak for a long time, neither of them able to find the words to say. Eventually, it’s Klaus who breaks the silence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to see her?” Klaus asks, and Pen automatically shakes her head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I came to make sure that I did the right thing. To make sure I didn’t fuck her over. To make sure you aren’t going to fuck her over,” she admits.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if she asks about you one day? What if she wants to meet you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can find me, but just once. I don’t think I’d like to be back here again more than that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you leaving now?” Klaus murmurs, looking over at her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did what I came to do. Why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because Diego would probably like to meet you,” Klaus answers, and with a nod, he gets Ben to find Diego. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego walks out the front door looking a little worse for wear but knowing he’d regret not coming down. Ben had come to get him, telling him the reason why the woman had suddenly appeared by the front door when before that he knew it was just him and Klaus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben told me,” he begins when he sees Klaus open their mouth to explain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego just stands there for a moment taking the woman in. She looks so young, but then again so were Klaus and him in many ways. Diego has no idea what to say, and he has no idea what she and Klaus have talked about. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-thank you,” is what he settles on after some time. “I’ve w-wanted to say t-that since day one. Thank you for our Kat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus starts to walk over to him but he just holds up a hand, telling them to stop. “Just let me get this out,” he asks and is relieved when Klaus stops moving towards him. “This is the last way I wanted this to go. As much as the thought of this day terrified me because I could lose her, I didn’t want this. Please know that I plan on doing everything I can for her. I won’t fuck this up. We won’t fuck this up. Klaus is an amazing parent, and I’m lucky enough to be along for the ride.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Penelope tucks her hands back into her hoodie and gives a bittersweet smile to Diego. “As I told Klaus, she was never really mine, so I’m really glad she’s someone's. Now I did what I came here to do. Klaus,” she says turning to her former customer and hookup, “you’ll be fine. And keep him. Because from over here it doesn’t look so complicated.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I debated a long time what do to with the character of Kat's mom. As much as I hate fridging characters, I also didn't want her to be a looming what-if in their lives. Apparently, my mind came up with the most depressing solution for this ever, allowing her to come in and out of Klaus' life in a matter of a chapter. I'm sorry for the angst and I promise that the final chapters will resume the typical fluffiness you expect from this story. </p>
<p>Now if my brain could only cooperate with part 2.</p>
<p>Song for this chapter is "Tonight, Tonight" by Smashing Pumpkins [Fic playlist here --&gt; https://spoti.fi/33DX6ba]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Sound of Settling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Diego honey, are you sure I can’t make anything for you? I’m almost done with her outfit,” Grace asks, passing the fabric under the sewing machine to finish the stitch. </p>
<p>“Nah, Mom. I got what I needed from the store, and besides, I don’t think we’re going to be out too long so I’m not sure I’ll dress up. She’s only seven months, but we never got to go trick-or-treating as kids so I want to take her around,” Diego explains, grateful that his Mom took over after she encountered his first botched attempt a week ago, but let him continue practicing his needlework on the bag. </p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm very pleased no one yelled at me for the last chapter. I promise the last two chapters are just pure fluff where our boys finally get it together!</p>
<p>Thank you as always to my beta GeometryofTime!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They don’t talk about it. Not for a while. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That night they just go upstairs, neither of them saying a word to the other as they get ready for bed and settle in under the covers. Diego is staring up at the ceiling, trying to get his mind to stop racing when he hears Klaus sniff. The sniff escalates to a sob, and all Diego can manage is pulling Klaus to him, and letting them cry into his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They fall asleep in that position that night. And the night after that, and the night after that. Even when Klaus stops crying they find themselves curled around each other under the covers, unable to sleep apart anymore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>During the day Klaus needs space. Diego understands that and he does his best to keep their routine as steady as possible while giving Klaus time to process. Their daughter seems to pick up on Klaus' mood too, becoming more somber when around her dad. He wants to ask so many questions but every time he’s about to, he sees the sadness behind their eyes and just saves it for later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At night though, Klaus needs the opposite of space. The first night Klaus doesn’t cry Diego thinks that they might want some space in bed, but within a few minutes they were curling around Diego, and it wasn’t hard for him to just put his arm around Klaus and keep them close. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diego honey, are you sure I can’t make anything for you? I’m almost done with her outfit,” Grace asks, passing the fabric under the sewing machine to finish the stitch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah, Mom. I got what I needed from the store, and besides, I don’t think we’re going to be out too long so I’m not sure I’ll dress up. She’s only seven months, but we never got to go trick-or-treating as kids so I want to take her around,” Diego explains, grateful that his Mom took over after she encountered his first botched attempt a week ago, but let him continue practicing his needlework on the bag. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I need to make anything for Klaus?” Grace asks, turning the fabric inside out and setting it aside to be stuffed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I don’t think they’re going to come out with us, but I got something for them just in case.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you get for me?” Klaus asks from the door, causing Diego to look up from his craft. “What are you two making?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Halloween is in a few days,” Diego begins, looking as if he’s been caught out with a dirty magazine. “I thought about taking Kat around for a little bit to see the neighborhood, so costume,” he explains pointing to what Grace is sewing, “and a bag for the candy no one will give her because she’s a baby,” he adds, showing Klaus the tote where he was sloppily embroidering her first name. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego watches as realization crosses Klaus’ face about the time of year and he knows that when Klaus gets like this, dates lose their meaning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to make a decision now,” Diego begins, before Klaus cuts him off with a show of ‘Hello.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are we dressing up as?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diego, are you in khakis?” Klaus hears Allison ask as Diego makes his way downstairs ahead of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Allison.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, I knew that Halloween was a day to dress up as someone else but this is something. I was expecting something a little darker.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just wait until you see the rest of us!” Klaus finally calls and, turning to Vanya behind them, they give the signal and Klaus begins their descent, their daughter held out in their hands like a presentation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus walks down in short khaki cargo shorts, a blue cami covered by a coral button-down tied at the waist in a knot, complete with hiking boots. In their arms, Kat is dressed like a tiny dinosaur, clearly amused by all the attention and sound. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus spots Diego recording as asked, as Klaus decided yesterday he wanted a video of their costumes, soundtrack included. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The music draws the rest of their family to the foyer and Ben and Allison are the first to clap in realization, followed by Five, who tells Luther. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Vanya,” Diego applauds, as he turns the recording off and moves to kiss his daughter on the cheek. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jurassic Park, nice choice,” Ben praises, as he takes in their outfits. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diego surprised me with it!” Klaus exclaims, their mood buoyed from both the holiday and the long conversation a few nights prior when Diego and they finally sat down to talk about Penelope. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a long night, full of tears on both their ends, but it culminated in both of them admitting all their fears about raising Kat, as well as Klaus confessing their fear of overdosing now that Kat was around. The conversation took a lot out of both of them, and it wouldn't be the only one, but by the end of it they each knew they weren’t alone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I secretly think he wrote up a whole list of ideas,” Klaus whispers to Ben, “because I caught him practicing sewing again with Grace so it seems our dear Diego is going to be the PTA parent of the two of us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How is this surprising?” Ben remarks flatly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know I shouldn’t be but who knew under all that broodiness there was such a soft man?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not about to tell you all the ways you already know that because I need to convince Diego to let me push the stroller so I can join you two.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After some family photos and assurances that they would bring candy back for the family, the four of them head out, Ben happily attached to his niece's stroller, to enjoy their first Halloween together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, next year, you should figure out some ideas for the whole family,” Ben suggests as they make their way to the first house, Klaus unbuckling Kat from her seat to see if her newfound button obsession extends to doorbells. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I might have a few ideas in mind,” Diego admits, as he watches Klaus and Kat walk up to their first house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Holidays were not a thing in the Hargreeves household growing up. Their father had found them to be frivolous distractions and often had them on patrol missions during the major holidays. On one memorable occasion, they spent Christmas Eve into Christmas morning defusing a bomb threat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But now? Now Reginald was very dead and nothing is there to stop the Hargreeves from celebrating the holiday season. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Klaus’ idea to get the tree. “What good is all this money if I can’t hire someone to bring me the tallest fucking tree that I can fit in the house,” Klaus declares as they walk around the tree farm the day after Thanksgiving. Diego follows behind him, dutifully pulling Kat in the baby sled (Luther had thoughtfully bought it for them), despite still being full from Mom’s Thanksgiving spread. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you even measure the height of our ceilings,” Diego calls out, rolling his eyes as Klaus arbitrarily dismisses another fir for not having the right shape. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I did! Five made sure I didn’t mess it up either, by getting the blueprints for the house out while lecturing me about picking up pine needles.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took an hour, by which time Diego had moved Kat to her harness as she was falling asleep in the sled. Klaus finally settles on a massive 15-foot tall tree that they describe as a perfect triangle and makes Diego wait by it as they run back to the front to get an attendant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One day, Kat,” Diego begins to say to his sleeping daughter, “your Dad will be the absolute death of me. I want you to remember this moment as one of the many times I will restrain myself from killing them, so your Papi doesn’t go to jail… again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego continues to whisper to Kat all the ways her father drives him up the wall, but as soon as Klaus comes into view, he stops and can’t help but smile at the enthusiasm radiating from them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are we doing this again?” Five asks as he holds up a snowman-shaped cookie covered in purple frosting. “She isn’t old enough to remember this and Santa isn’t even real,” he adds, causing Vanya to elbow him lightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because, Five,” Klaus begins, taking the purple snowman from their brother and adding candy eyes to it, “cookies are delicious, and for at least the next eight to ten years Santa is real, along with all other mythical characters children want to believe in, and if you say otherwise I will take a blowtorch to your suit collection.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’ll help,” Diego adds from across the kitchen pulling the last batch of cookies out of the oven. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine. Pass me another one so at least some of these have correct colors on them and aren’t just abominations of nature,” Five sighs, taking a star from the pile, and turns to his niece to explain how not all stars are yellow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego’s just finished putting the last of the gifts under the tree, knowing full well he went overboard, but looking at the rest of the wrapped gifts, so did all of his siblings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you done for the night, Santa?” Klaus calls from behind him, coming up to stand beside Diego at the tree. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m all done. Can you believe how decorated this place is? It’s almost unrecognizable as the house we grew up in,” Diego says in quiet wonder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s weird but in the best way. Almost like we get a do-over on childhood,” they agree, standing beside Diego, admiring the tree. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego’s arm comes to settle around Klaus’ waist and he leans down to kiss their temple. “Do you want to go and eat the cookies now? I think Ben is watching some Christmas movies with Vanya in the TV room.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In a minute. I sort of want to take this in. Is that weird?” Klaus asks, leaning their head on Diego’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I don’t think it’s weird. I don’t think any of us ever thought we would ever have something resembling normal, and now here we are, staring at a decorated tree that we literally cut down, surrounded by presents, in a home where no one is telling us how to live anymore. I don’t think it’s weird to want to take that in, Klaus,” he assures and steps away for a second to pick up a gift from the pile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, this is for you. It’s one of a few but it’s sort of sentimental and I don’t want to deal with our family’s comments tomorrow,” he explains, and hands Klaus the wrapped box. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diego,” they start but lose their train of thought as they open the box. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inside is a framed photo of Klaus, Diego, and Kat from Kat’s first week or so in the house. It shows Klaus passed out with Kat resting on their tattooed chest, their head pressed against Diego’s side. Diego is awake, but reading a parenting book, his free hand petting Klaus’ hair. Along the top of the frame are their names and on the bottom is scrawled ‘established June 2019.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘How? What? When?’ Klaus wants to ask, but it just comes out as a garbled mess. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Vanya was apparently sneaky in the early days before we got our camera and took a few snaps of us. But this was the first of all three of us, you know, as a family” he explains. “I know it’s sappy, but I told Vanya once that I wanted Kat to have proper baby photos and not just press releases, oil paintings, and security footage. And this is just that. A real picture of a real family.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their hand running over the photo, unable to stop the question that’s been settling in their chest for over two months from finding a way out of their mouth and into the empty room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diego, what are we doing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever we want to do, Klaus.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The answer hangs in the air until Klaus takes a step forward and presses a soft kiss to Diego’s lips. “Whatever we want to do,” they agree.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Part 2, for those interested, will be about Klaus and Diego getting together officially, seeing some missing scenes from this fic as well as filling in some other gaps!</p>
<p>The Kliego discord might make me give Kat a quince in the future so who knows, there might be more in this verse after part 2!</p>
<p>Song for this chapter is "Sound of Settling" by Death Cab for Cutie [Fic playlist here --&gt; https://spoti.fi/33DX6ba]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. All Is Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Diego never understood in the past why people celebrated a kid’s first birthday. Like his brother often reminded him, Kat wasn’t going to remember this, but coming up on the week of his daughter’s birthday he absolutely understood why. It was a fucking accomplishment. Klaus and Diego had gotten Kat through her first year of life without killing each other or killing her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Wednesday</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego never understood in the past why people celebrated a kid’s first birthday. Like his brother often reminded him, Kat wasn’t going to remember this, but coming up on the week of his daughter’s birthday he absolutely understood why. It was a fucking accomplishment. Klaus and Diego had gotten Kat through her first year of life without killing each other or killing her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were planning on celebrating with just the family with dinner on Sunday night, but that isn’t stopping Klaus from making a to-do of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are going to exhaust her,” Diego says as they head out of the house, Kat bundled in her stroller, to head to the store. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am not. Besides, she starts morning daycare next week, which means she’ll be getting plenty of excitement soon enough,” Klaus tsks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still don’t see why she has to go to that since I’m still not working,” Diego grumbles, rehashing the argument they’ve had several times already. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because Gogo, we said she’d get a normal life and a normal life involves socialization with other kids. Besides, it’s just the mornings so you can figure out your next step, and the afternoons will still be Papi and Kat time. Don’t act as if I don’t know about all those activity groups you’ve been stalking online.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus knows he’s won when Diego says nothing in return but continues to push Kat towards the store Klaus wants to go to get Kat’s birthday outfit. They both know it’s impractical because Kat is going to destroy whatever she wears. But Klaus has taken to getting them matching outfits for the last few months, and Diego is not about to stop that because (1) he finds it fucking adorable, (2) it makes Klaus happy, (3) he knows one day Kat will start to be vocal about her own clothes so he wants Klaus to have this while they still can. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He remembers the first time he put together an outfit for them. It was a trip to the zoo and Klaus got Kat a cheetah print sweater from the store to match the one hanging in his closet. He paired it with a black skirt and leggings for both of them and was beaming when he showed off their outfits to Diego, who at the time was sparring in the gym with Luther. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gogo, be honest, do we look adorable or do we look cute?” he asked from the doorway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But before Diego could respond, Luther forgot his filter and said, “isn’t that a mother-daughter thing, the matching outfits?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luther, remember what Allison recommended, and count to three after you have a thought before letting it come out of your mouth,” Diego rebuffs, walking over to Klaus muttering ‘<em>este pendejo</em>’ under his breath, noticing how both Klaus and Kat deflated a bit at his brother’s comment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You both look fucking adorable, on point as always, Klaus.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Months later Klaus and his Kit Kat were still on point, which is how Diego ends up tucking two bags into Kat’s stroller at the end of the first trip, each with a matching green lace jumpsuit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Thursday</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next stop is the party store, which involves a drive downtown. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>About three months into getting Kat, Diego realized they’d need a car that wasn’t his beat-up patrol vehicle. Before Kat, Diego didn’t care what he drove as long as it got him from place to place without hassle, and was big enough to stuff a body in the trunk from time to time. But the idea of putting Kat into that car terrified him, which is how he wound up getting his current car. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been a battle between safety (Diego’s concern), look (Klaus’ concern), and all the other opinions of his siblings who suddenly had a vested interest in the new car. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We all have more money than we know what to do with! Get your own fucking car,” Diego cried out during the family meeting to discuss the car, which is how all the Hargreeves siblings wound up at the fancy dealership downtown test driving luxury cars for the afternoon, getting waited on hand and foot by people hoping they’d buy a car. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus had been hard to reign in at first, wanting to get something flashy, but after the second car he test-drove that only had two seats Diego had to step in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Klaus, Klaus, we have a baby. The baby cannot fit inside the Aston Martin. So if you let me just pick the car, I will let you pick whatever color you want it in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego immediately regretted those words once Klaus settled on bright orange because it was not conspicuous at all. But now he’s used to it, and he knows he can always find it in a parking lot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the party store, Diego knows that he is just there to push the cart and entertain Kat while Klaus tosses whatever he wants into the cart. He only reigns Klaus in when something is too dangerous for Kat, like the feather boas or smaller noisemakers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ooh look, a mini ball pit!” he hears, and turns to see Klaus pulling a huge box from the top shelf.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kit Kat, this is an example of when your Dad gets an idea that I have to execute! Like the chevron walls in your room or the mini-library on the third floor for you and Uncle Ben!” he chimes sarcastically to his daughter, who chuckles at the tone. “Yes, exactly Kat your Dad is silly,” he continues, causing Kat to giggle before saying “Dada!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately the box Klaus is holding falls to the floor of the aisle as he strides to the shopping cart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diego, did she just?” Klaus starts, but stops because as soon as Klaus comes into Kat’s frame she points and says, “Dada!” again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Holy shit!” Klaus exclaims, earning himself looks from the other people in the store as he pulls Kat from the cart. “I’m her first word, Diego!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego cracks up behind his hand as his partner just bounces their daughter, ecstatic. “You win Dada, you got the first word,” Diego applauds, leaning in for a kiss. “Congratulations,” he adds, moving to pick the ball pit up from the floor and putting it into the cart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego doesn’t bother going through the rest of the store. Klaus is distracted by Kat’s latest achievement, and he’d rather minimize the number of returns he’ll have to make later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>*** </span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Friday</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The last errand that week is the bakery, which is a stop on Diego and Klaus’ route after date night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the first night in October, Diego and Klaus didn’t go out again until after Halloween, but since then it’s been a steady routine of Friday night date nights. At first, they were just outings like the first time, a way for them to get out of the house. But after Christmas there's a shift - a kiss will do that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They start with restaurants, testing the waters of their relationship outside the confines of the house. Klaus breaks that trend one night with the idea of ice skating, convinced that if Diego could control blades in the air he could control blades on the ice. They quickly learned that those skills do not translate, and after one too many falls, Diego calls it. He tugs Klaus into the heated hut, buying them churros and cocoa, and they spend the rest of the night there, trading kisses and talking about what would come next. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tonight they’re taking it easy, opting to go to a movie. They both feel like teenagers when they go, usually making it halfway through the film before the make out for the rest. Privacy has become a simple pleasure for them, since at the theatre they can usually wrang the back row and no one interrupts them, unlike in a house full of nosy adults and one baby. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the movie finishes, they head out, earning only a mildly disapproving stare from the usher, causing Klaus to wink at the man before pulling Diego out onto the sidewalk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At least we didn’t get kicked out this time,” he grins, wrapping an arm around Klaus’ shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it strange that I felt accomplished when we did that last time? Of all the places I’ve been kicked out of, a movie theatre for making out with my partner is pretty tame. Which is why I propose next time you let me put on a bit of a show,” he teases, causing Diego to blush. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No Klaus, hard no,” Diego responds, realizing his mistake in using the word hard when Klaus wiggles his eyebrows. “Save your filthy mind for when we get home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you bet I will Gogo. Should we get a bag of frosting from the bakery? Make it interesting?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego lets out a long-suffering sigh before pulling Klaus into a kiss. “<em>Siempre estás jodiéndome para joderte</em>,” he mutters as he pulls back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did that mean? It’s not fair that you actually remember the languages that Sir made us learn!” Klaus complains, and Diego just cracks up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I promise you, Sir certainly did not teach us what I just said,” he assures as he opens the bakery door for Klaus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman behind the counter greets them with a good-natured smile, remembering their tasting appointment where Klaus had devoured almost half a cake on his own, while Diego just apologized between nibbles. They ultimately settled on a simple vanilla cake with a jam fill, covered all over in round rainbow sprinkles with two small matching smash cakes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Allison who suggested a smash cake - in lieu of candles - Kat would have a smaller cake to smash and shover in her face. Klaus was so taken by the idea that he wanted to do it to the bigger cake, but Diego offered to get a second smash cake instead for his partner to destroy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With three cakes all packaged, Diego and Klaus make their way back home, their hands twined, unwilling to let go of the other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego sometimes thinks that's how it started for them, the hand holding. The way neither of them wanted to cross a line but wanted to make sure the other knew they were there. They’d hold hands at stores, at doctor’s appointments, during outings - just a simple reminder that the other wasn’t leaving. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Saturday</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus might have been done with errands, but that doesn’t mean the house isn’t done being festooned yet. After successfully arguing with Luther, he was sticking decorations all over the formal dining room while Kat was sitting in her activity chair watching her father run around the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Klaus noticed early on that his daughter liked the sound of his voice, he continued the habit of narrating his thoughts to Kat, who grew from just looking at him with rapt attention to babbling back in imitation. Sometimes he wondered if he should use more baby talk, but every time he tried he felt silly (which is saying something considering his personality) so he settled on talking to her like a person. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now I know you have no opinion on what the rest of us are eating for dinner, but Papi is making sure that he got your avocados, and that mozzarella cheese you’ve taken to. Thankfully it seems you’ve inherited my palate, and you haven’t tried to kill anyone when confronted with oatmeal, which is what we call a Hargreeves family win,” he rambles, sticking another crepe paper flower to the wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The flower falls, causing Kat to laugh, and Klaus indulges her in a few more failed attempts before finally sticking it to the wall and coming over to pick her up and put her in a standing position. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go see Diego,” he suggests and holds Kat’s hands between his own to help her stand. So far Kat’s been able to take a few wobbly steps holding his hands, but usually plants herself on the ground soon after and demands to be carried. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Like clockwork Kat manages about ten steps and then plops down on the floor, reaching up for Klaus. “Be lucky you’re cute,” he teases as he scoops her up and walks upstairs to find Diego working on another room on the third floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Over the last year, Diego’s been growing their presence on the third floor. First, it was the nursery and their room, followed by the library. Now, Diego was making workspace for the two of them, as Klaus actually needed a place to inventory all the plants he was selling, and Diego? Well from what Klaus knows he isn’t sure what the next step is aside from stay at home dad. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus knocks on the doorframe to get Diego’s attention, but it’s Kat who gets Diego to turn around with a shout of “Papi!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus watches as Diego’s eyes go wide, and he wonders briefly if that’s how he looked a few days ago when Kat called his name in the store. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Klaus did she just?” Diego starts, and Klaus grins because it really is his own reaction but on his partner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kat who is that?” Klaus asks, pointing at Diego. Kat repeats herself again while leaning forward to be held by Diego. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego doesn’t hesitate in taking her and begins to speak rapid Spanish to her, that Klaus cannot pick up on, but can tell it’s praise. Not because he understands a word of it, but because it’s Diego. Kat has him wrapped around her finger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Sunday</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diego regrets his decision to buy the second smash cake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After his daughter adorably shoves her tiny hands into the confection and messily eats a piece, Klaus mimics her and grabs a handful from his own. Only instead of putting it into his mouth like Kat, Klaus takes the sweet and shoves it into Diego’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room erupts in laughter, as Diego wipes the cake from his face. But when Diego retaliates by smashing cake into Klaus’ face before kissing him, most of his siblings choke on their giggles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When did that start happening?” Luther wonders, as Allison pulls out her wallet to give money to Vanya. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still can’t believe you didn’t let me bet,” Ben grumbles, looking over to Five who has a knowing smirk already on his face. “Did you know about this already?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Time travel,” he begins to explain, but Diego pulls back from Klaus in time to cut Five off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want any spoilers.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I cannot believe I finished this story! To give you an idea I started this story less than a month after finishing season two and posted the fic the same day I joined the Kliego discord! Nothing like a supportive environment to encourage your work after all! Thank you to everyone who leaves kudos and comments. It's so lovely to see people enjoy this story and to see our boys have a pretty fluffy life. </p>
<p>Thank you 1000x to my beta @GeometryofTime</p>
<p>Part 2, for those interested, will be about Klaus and Diego getting together officially, seeing some missing scenes from this fic as well as filling in some other gaps!</p>
<p>If you want to request any family vignettes drop them in the comment box as I've already been asked to give Kat a Quinceañera because why not?</p>
<p>Song for this chapter is "All is Love" by Karen O [Fic playlist here --&gt; https://spoti.fi/33DX6ba]</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please drop a kudos, or comment if you want me to squee about these boys with you! If you like this work consider subscribing to the series if you haven't already &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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